Pokémon Black Earth Classic
by EmilyAnnCoons
Summary: The story of Kiai and Emily as they go on a pokémon adventure. Rated M for strong language, nudity, and sexual themes.
1. The Chosen Ones

A/N: This is a collab between me and my online boyfriend, Freerefill. We hope you enjoy it, and I will update as it is written.

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**Book 1**

**Chapter 1: The Chosen Ones**

The Kanto Region, one of many places where Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon, exist. The amount of different Pokémon species is unknown. It could be any number. The Kanto Region, however, is home to 150 different types. They rank from small to large, grass to rock, electric to ghosts themselves.

A golden sun rises over the calm waters of Pallet Bay. The morning mist clears, leaving sparkles of dew on the soft, green grass. Today was the day that the boys and girls of Pallet Town had been waiting for; the day they began their journeys as Pokemon trainers. Only three would be selected; the rest would have to wait another year. Kiai didn't even manage to sleep, so he was waiting outside Professor Oak's lab since long before the Pidgey's began singing. As he gazed upon the peaceful colors on the ocean horizon, for which Pallet Town got its name, the stillness was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Only one girl could match Kiai's eagerness.

She was a beautiful young woman, no older then 13. Fairly tall for her age, she wore a simple cyan halter top, along with a white mini skirt. She had long brown hair, about waist length. Her eyes were a very beautiful, almost crystal blue color, and she wore a small, golden locket. Her shoes were rather dull in color, being a simple shade of red and nothing more. She had a brown purse strapped across her shoulder, which went from her left shoulder to her right hip. She walked up to where Kiai was standing, her hands clasped together behind her back as she skipped and turned to look at Professor Oak's place. This was Emily.

Kiai could hear the determination in the footsteps on the gravel path. He didn't need to turn around to know that his rival was just behind him, but he couldn't turn his deep, brown eyes away from his friend. He turned and smiled at her. He wore a simple white t-shirt and jean shorts, and a worn-out pair of sandals. Across his shoulder was a simple black backpack, and on his belt were six old, empty pokeballs which he had gotten from his brother. He tossed his long black pony tail over his shoulder as he turned around. "Good morning, Emily. What brings you here?" he spoke, with a casual grin.

Emily giggled. "You know plain well what I'm doing here, Kiai. I'm going to be one of the three chosen to get my very first pokemon." She closed her eyes. "It's just going to be so much fun! I can just imagine it." She pulled her hands up against her cheek and blushed a little. She was obviously fantasizing what she was planning. This, however, was something Kiai dealt with all the time with her.

"Well…" said Kiai, and Emily knew what was coming before he even continued. His level-headedness often clashed with her outgoing personality. "…you and I won't be the only candidates. There are a lot of talented people here." He gave her a very adult look, a strange thing coming from someone only one year older than her. As Emily rolled her eyes and turned away, Kiai gazed back upon the sun, and the tone in his voice slipped a little. "Of course, if only one of us is chosen…"

Emily looked down, almost sad at the thought. "If only one of us is chosen...then one would go, leaving the other behind..." While Kiai was her rival, he was also her friend, and Emily had no desire to lose that just because only one of them was chosen. "Maybe...if only one of us is chosen...we can still go together?" she asked, but she didn't look up.

Kiai smiled. "If you're chosen, I'm kicking your ass out. If I'm chosen…I'm staying here until you get picked." He walked over to Emily, and she looked up at him. He smiled at her, and spoke, "It's just going to be so much fun."

Emily smiled. "You're such a nice person, Kiai." She turned and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. The two were nothing more then friends, though the way Emily acted one might think otherwise. Still, it was how Emily acted, and Kiai was somewhat used to it, having her act this way their whole lives that they had known each other. However, sometimes he still got a little nervous when she randomly hugged him, and almost always did when she tried to snuggle against him, as she now seemed to be doing.

Kiai never was positive where his relationship with Emily was going, but he knew that they would be together forever. Despite being nervous, he knew what this day could mean for them. He wrapped his arms around his friend, and held her tight. The thought that they could be separated today was something he had, up until that point, managed to ignore. But now, his heart ached.

Emily continued to snuggle herself against Kiai. Tears were now forming in her eyes. The thought of being separated from him was something she didn't want. She wanted to stay with him, no matter what. She was, however, only able to snuggle a moment more before the door to Oak's lab opened and his assistant walked out. He had his eyes closed, a happy look on his face.

"Hello, everyone," the assistant spoke. "Professor Oak is waiting inside for the three people who will be picked as Pokemon trainers today." Emily looked up and quickly broke from the hug. She quickly wiped her eyes and switched to a rather nervous emotion now. Her mind was racing with multiple possibilities, but only one of them was what she hoped would come to pass.

Kiai looked around. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but other than that, it was complete stillness. "Three people?" he spoke, "but there are only two of us. Where's everyone else?"

The assistant walked forward, and now actually opened his eyes, as he had been, somehow, walking without his eyes open. He blinked at the sight of only two wanna-be trainers. He had the same question Kiai had. "Where is everyone?" He looked at Kiai and Emily, then sighed. "Well, since you're both here. You two might as well come in. We'll wait a bit to see if anyone else shows up before we announce you two as trainers...but others should have been here by now." The assistant turned away from them. "Come with me, you two."

Kiai nodded toward Emily. "After you." he spoke. They followed the assistant up to the lab, where they were led into a large waiting room. There were pokemon shaped cookies and a pitcher of milk on the table, which Emily immediately began helping herself to. Kiai sat down on a large, fluffy chair and closed his eyes, again forgetting how Emily enjoyed taking advantage of him while he meditated.

"Hey, Kiai," Emily spoke, turning around to look at him. One cookie lied in her hand, a glass of milk in her other hand, and a second cookie hung from her mouth. She blinked a little, seeing Kiai was meditating. She grabbed the cookie out of her mouth using her hand that held the other cookie. "Figures..." she spoke to herself in a low voice. She set her cookies and milk down, then walked over to Kiai. She first poked him in the head a couple times, but that did nothing, as it never did. She then sighed and walked next to him. She poked him a couple more times, then thought for a moment, wondering what to do.

From somewhere else in the lab, a door opened and the sounds of chatter filled the area. Kiai's eyes darted open, and he stood up so quick Emily fell backwards into a chair, giving an "oof!" Kiai had recognized one of the voices at once. The voice he never wanted to hear again, but knew he would never get away from it. Alex had come. The pretentious prick who had been making life a living hell for almost as long as Kiai and Emily had been together had come to make himself a Pokemon trainer.

Emily blinked a little at Kiai. She had only seen Kiai with the look on his face at certain times, and each one involved Alex. She stood to her feet, her face changing to an almost angry look. She heard Alex's voice, and knew he was coming. "Why does HE want to become a trainer?" she asked, stomping her foot, and placing her hands on her hips. "He'd be no good at it. He'd just treat his Pokemon badly...He's nothing but a big bully, and that's all he'll be to his pokemon." It only took a moment more, though, before Alex entered the lab, looking at Emily. She could now tell he had heard her, but she didn't care.

Alex approached Emily, the young boys and girls who followed him (and who had also come to try their luck) had gone silent. "Care to repeat that, little girl?"

Kiai pushed Emily back onto the chair and she once again gave an "oof." Kiai then stood between her and Alex. No sooner had he, though, then the lab assistant came into the room. Emily quickly stood to her feet and straightened out her halter top and miniskirt as to look presentable.

"Ah ha! I see we're all here," the assistant spoke. "Come, Professor Oak will see you now."

The assistant turned, and Kiai spat a whispered "She's right, you know" at Alex, before they all walked out of the room to meet their destiny.

Emily walked right up to Kiai, now walking in perfect step with him to stay right next to him. "I hate him," she whispered to Kiai.

Kiai whispered back, "You know those moments where everything falls into place?" Emily gave him a confused look, but he didn't look back. Something in his gut told him that he was getting on the ride of his life. The assistant took them down a long, wide hall, then through a set of swinging double doors. Inside was Professor Oak, standing next to a table, and on it were three pokeballs and three pokedexes.

As they crowded into the room, Oak spoke up, "Gather 'round here, children! The moment has finally come! You've all trained and studied hard for this, but only three of you will be chosen. Are you all ready?! Good!" Oaks eyes twinkled as he looked over the small crowd of eager, young faces. "I'm sure you all know how it goes. Inside these pokeballs are either a Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur. As I call your name, come up and select one, and a pokedex. First...Alex Shibata!" The younger children cheered and whooped, as Alex smugly walked up and snatched the center pokeball, holding it triumphantly over his head.

Emily stared. She growled a little. "Of course...he's the most rotten bully around, and he gets first choice...ten bucks he abuses the poor Pokemon..." she grumbled. There were a couple of children she heard shout "Boo!" to their disappointment that he got picked, and she couldn't resist the urge. "Boo!" she shouted as well, then folded her arms. "Rotten kid..." she mumbled. "Guess this is where we find out who goes and who stays, huh?" she looked to Kiai.

Kiai looked back at her. "I guess it is." Memories from last year still haunted him, when he was one of only four candidates, and he knew he was better than the rest, yet he was singled out as being not chosen. He didn't have much time to reminisce, as Professor Oak raised his hands to calm the children, and continued.

"Next," Oak began, "will Emily Yamaki please step forward!" Oak had barely gotten the name out when Alex shouted "Boo!", but it was drowned out by Kiai screaming "Yes!!" and clapping loudly.

Emily blushed. "Me?" she asked. She then turned to Kiai. "I did it!" she shouted and hugged him. "If I can make it, then you can too." She giggled. "I'll see you when they call your name." She turned and headed up. She looked the two pokeballs over, examining each closely. She seemed as if she was very particular about which she picked. Finally, after what probably felt like hours to the others, but was actually only a minute or so, she grabbed one, smiling. She then walked up to where Alex was, giving him a scowl. "You abuse that Pokemon, and you're in deep shit."

Professor Oak applauded respectfully, and when the clatter died down, he prepared himself for the final name. Everyone in the room was on pins and needles; some of the younger ones had even stopped breathing. Oak grinned, then shouted out, "Michelle Maybelle!" A high shriek pierced the crowd, and a small blond girl ran forward, excitingly grabbing the remaining pokeball, and knocking the pokedex off the table in the process. She quickly picked it up and ran back to her friends.

Everything seemed to go strangely silent in Kiai's ears. By the time he was brought to his senses, a very old-looking Professor Oak was looking down at him, his hand on Kiai's shoulder. Kiai looked around, and saw that they were alone in the room. "Where is everyone?" Kiai asked.

Oak replied, "The three have gone for their instructions, and the rest have gone home."

Kiai's eyes fell, and he tried to tell his body to leave, but his legs wouldn't move. "I suppose I should go home too..." he spoke, but he felt Professor Oak's grip tighten on his shoulder. He looked up again, and Oak smiled warmly down at him.

"I want you to know why you were not part of the three." Oak spoke. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander are chosen so that the three selected trainers will always be stronger than one other, but weaker than one other. Thusly, neither one will be able to boast to the other, until they've learned the hardships of training."

Oak got down on one knee and looked up at Kiai. "You already know those hardships. And you have a greater task than becoming a Pokemon Master. You need a pokemon better suited to your destiny, one that will be loyal to you, and as determined to protect your friends as you are." Oak reached into his lab coat and pulled out a pokeball, which he placed into Kiai's hands. "Come, the other three are waiting." He led Kiai down the hall, into another room, where the Assistant was showing Alex, Emily, and Michelle how to use their pokedexes.

Emily turned for a moment, her eyes coming in contact with Kiai. At that moment, it was as if the world around her ceased to be, as she no longer cared about what the assistant was saying. She rushed to Kiai and hugged him tight. She didn't want to let go of him. She hadn't noticed the pokeball in his hand, and thought he would still be sad about not being picked twice in a row now. "I'm sorry, Kiai. I'll stay with you until you get picked," she spoke. "I won't leave you."

Kiai wrapped his arms around her and held her very tight. At first, he was in a dream, knowing now that Oak had been planning this day for some years, but with Emily in his arms, he suddenly realized what it meant. He was finally going to be going on the journey of a lifetime, with a friend of a lifetime. He whispered softly into her ear, "I made it."

Emily's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute..." she looked at Kiai. "You made it and didn't say anything? I hugged you and was sad for you for nothing?" She bonked him on the head with her fist. It wasn't hard, just enough so that he would know she was upset, but not enough to really hurt him. "You better say something next time." She then smiled and hugged him. "I'm so happy."

Kiai stared blankly off into nothingness as Emily hugged him. If there was ever a girl who defied his expectations, it was Emily. Professor Oak coughed loudly, and the two parted. Kiai looked at Oak, but his eyes met Alex, who had decided to stage an intervention. "Breaking the rules again, Oak?" said Alex. "You know you're only supposed to pick three."

Oak smiled, "Surely, Alex, you aren't threatened by Kiai being included?"

Alex scoffed, "Hah! I could beat him with one hand tied behind my back."

Oak clapped his hands and laughed, "Splendid idea! I just so happen to have some rope right here!" He reached into his lab coat and miraculously pulled out a length of rope. Alex said nothing, simply turning and burying his nose into his pokedex.

Emily giggled a little at Oak and Alex, then pulled her pokedex back out. She touched a couple buttons, then put it away, being pleased. "So, what did you get, huh? I want to know so bad! Is it a Pikachu like the Professor gave Ash for his first Pokemon? Oh, that would just be so cute!" She was now babbling on and on...During her non-sensical babbling, however, she had managed to grab her pokeball and toss it in the air. It hit the ceiling, bounced off, hit one of the nearby computers, bounced off and hit the ground, where it proceeded to shake for a moment. There was then a blinding flash of light as the pokeball seemed to "explode". A small Squirtle appeared from the smoke as the, now broken, pokeball rolled aside, falling into three or four pieces.

"Squirtle!" the Squirtle shouted and shook. He seemed unhappy.

"Oops," was all Emily had to say.

Alex, suddenly curious as to what he had received, called his pokemon out. A stout, strong-looking Bulbasaur appeared, to which Alex shouted "Hah!" at Emily.

Michelle began hopping up and down, repeating "I got Charmander! I got Charmander!"

Kiai looked down at the pokeball in his hand. What could Oak have given him that would serve as a loyal companion? He called out the pokemon, and a very, very small Rattata appeared. Michelle's squeals of delight were easily drowned out by Alex's riotous laughter. "Rattata?! That's not even worth catching, let alone keeping as your primary! What a loser!" Kiai shot Alex a hard glare, then heard a hiss from somewhere below him. Rattata was standing alert, his hair on end, hissing at Alex. Kiai smiled, and knelt down, offering his hand. Rattata hopped on, and scrambled up to Kiai's shoulder, where it sat still and proud, despite being so small.

Emily watched the scene unfold before her. After a moment she stepped closer to Kiai and pet the Rattata gently. "I think it's cute, unlike SOMEONE's pokemon." She seemed to give an odd glare at the Bulbasaur. "You see, I studied how Professor Oak would be giving out the pokemon. Each of the pokeballs has a tiny little symbol on it to tell you what is in it. At first I didn't see the water symbol on mine, but after looking carefully I did. Once I knew Squirtle was around, I took it." She grinned. "All that to say, my pokemon, Squirtle, is just so cute!" she then began to make, yet more, non-sensical babbling about how she thought Squirtle was cute. This was, however, interrupted when Squirtle shot Emily with his Water Gun. "What was that for?" she shouted.

Squirtle folded his arms. "Squirtle squirt," the Squirtle responded and Emily grumbled.

Kiai chuckled, until silenced by a warning glance from Emily. Professor Oak clapped his hands once, loudly, and everyone turned toward him. "Very good. You all have your pokemon and your pokedex," Professor Oak began. "Now you begin your journeys, hopefully all of you will become Pokemon Masters. You will all take very different paths from this point on, but I am confident that each of you will find what it is you're looking for." He paused, and looked at the four children looking back at him. "I'm very proud of all of you. Now, say your goodbyes to your families and friends. This afternoon will be the sendoff party, but you're free to leave early if you wish. Good luck, Alex, Michelle, Emily, and Kiai."


	2. Catch and Battle

**Chapter 2: Catch and Battle**

Emily had returned to her home now. She was excited. She was rushing around her room, grabbing clothes and stuffing them into a small backpack. She also stuffed other things into it, like a brush for her hair, a couple small cases of makeup in case she needed them, and other random feminine objects. Her Squirtle, which she had nicknamed Shellshocker, was wandering the room, examining things here and there. "Well, I think that's about it..." she reached over to her dresser and took a small pokeball off of it. "I guess it's a good thing those pokeballs were only for show...and that Professor Oak handed all of us six pokeballs." She turned to Shellshocker. "Shellshocker, return!" she shouted. The beam shot forward, but Shellshocker hopped out of the way.

"Eh?" Emily blinked. "Shellshocker, get in your pokeball!" Shellshocker turned his nose up at Emily.

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke.

"I said get in your pokeball!" This time she tossed it. Shellshocker quickly knocked the pokeball away and turned his nose up once more. "He doesn't like his pokeball?" Emily asked, blinking. "That reminds me of Ash...his Pikachu didn't like his pokeball either...perhaps...I should just let him stay out, like Ash does with his Pikachu?"

Kiai waited outside Emily's house, having packed his essentials the previous night. His Rattata was investigating a line of ants, marching along the sidewalk. Oak had told them all to say their goodbyes, but Oak was the only one Kiai had to say goodbye too. Ever since he was abandoned in Pallet Town, he really only had one friend worth saying 'goodbye' to, and she was coming with him. He heard some crashing noises from inside Emily's house, and was decidedly glad that he wasn't inside. He sat down to meditate some more, and unbeknownst to him, Rattata had sat down beside him.

It took only a moment more before the door to Emily's house opened. She walked out, Shellshocker at her side. She had her backpack all packed and slung on her back. It was a small, more feminine backpack, in that it had only a single string strap that lead to a small, cloth pouch that made up the backpack. It had two cloth pouches that were sewn carefully onto it, though looked a little out of place, being that Emily had put them there, and had not originally come with the backpack. She smiled as she saw Kiai in front of her and waved. "All right, I'm all ready to go."

"Emily!" a female voice shouted and Emily rolled her eyes. She turned and her mom rushed out, hugging her tight. "Please be careful, sweetie. I don't want you to get hurt out there."

"Mom, I'm thirteen. I'll be fine. I won't be by myself, you know? Kiai is coming with me."

"I know...but I'm still your mother...so I'm allowed to care about you."

"I'll be fine, Mom..." Emily hugged her mom, then turned to Kiai. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Kiai stood up and smiled at Emily. "Ready," he spoke with a grin. As if reading his mind, Rattata ran up Kiai's leg and perched on his shoulder. "They should be starting the going away ceremony soon, but if you're eager to leave, we can get a head start."

Emily smiled. "I'm not a big fan of parties," she spoke, then looked away. "I usually feel alone and left out..." she muttered under her breath. She began heading off to the north, to where they could begin their journey to Viridian City. "So, then," Emily began, "now that we're on our journey, what shall we do? There are a lot of options...we could work to catch other pokemon...collect the badges and go to the pokemon league..." she thought for a moment. "Anything else we could think of, I suppose..." she stopped and turned to Kiai. "So, what should we do?"

"First things first," said Kiai, and Emily could hear him getting serious. "We need to consider what sort of team we want to develop, putting particular emphasis on our strengths and weaknesses. We should also immediately analyze the combat potential of our current pokemon. Before we even consider badges, we'll have to put in several days at least of combat training, both for ourselves and our pokemon." At this point, Emily pretty much drowned Kiai out, though he continued talking.

After a few moments Emily sighed. "Well...I know exactly what I want to go for." She bent down and lifted her Squirtle off the ground, tossing him onto her back. "I'm going to become a water trainer! I love Water Pokemon!"

Kiai smiled. They both knew he knew the most about pokemon, but Emily loved them more, without a doubt. "Well I don't know about you," he said, "but I'm itching for a fight. I can't wait to get this party started." Rattata squeaked in agreement. "I want to be the very best…like no one ever was!"

Emily giggled a little as the two continued to walk. "While I'm not big on fighting, I certainly wouldn't mind an occasional pokemon fight. I'd love to get my pokemon stronger...but you could say I'm more the breeder type then the trainer type..." She shrugged. "Either way, I just love pokemon, and water ones are my absolute favorite!" She stopped and looked around. They were now officially out of Pallet Town. She blinked, then turned around. She suddenly seemed nervous. She stared back at the town behind her, her eyes seemed fix on her home town.

Kiai noticed her pause, and he too looked back. Neither of them had gone so far away on their own, and knowing they wouldn't be going home at the end of the day really began to sink in. Kiai put his arm around Emily's shoulder. "It'll be ok…we'll come back, and when we do, they won't even recognize us."

Emily looked at Kiai, then back to Pallet Town. "Yeah, you're right." She nodded. "I've been waiting for this day for many years, and now I can finally begin my journey." She then looked back at Kiai. "The thing that makes this the best of all, though, is being with you for it." She wrapped her arms around Kiai's neck and hugged him. She was happy that they wouldn't be separated now that they were both trainers, and on their journey together.

Kiai hugged her back. "You're right...I can't imagine taking this journey with anyone but you." Suddenly, a very annoyed Squirtle drenched them both with water. Seems they weren't the only two eager to get moving.

"Ack!" Emily shouted, then looked at Shellshocker. He did indeed have a very annoyed look on his face. "Right, we should go," she spoke, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, then, I guess the first place to go is Viridian City to the north. It's going to take a while to get there, though, but we should be able to manage pretty easily." She looked down at her wrist. She now had a small, watch-like object on her wrist. It was a pokegear, specially designed for radio, phone, maps, and time. "It's also still pretty early, so we've got a good few hours of day left. I wonder how far away Viridian is, though..." She pushed a button on her pokegear, showing the map to Viridian. "Doesn't look too far...but you ever can tell with maps..."

Kiai peeked over her shoulder, as Rattata peeked over his. "Looks like we've got a few inches to go…" he spoke, looking at the small map. "Hey, we should be there in plenty of time."

Emily nodded. "Yeah. And if it's far away, we'll just keep traveling." She turned off the map, returning the pokegear to watch mode. "It's what being a trainer is all about, right?" Suddenly, a loud noise was heard from nearby. Emily quickly turned her head to look to see what was going on. A small pokemon soon appeared from nearby. It was a small bug pokemon known as a Caterpie. Emily's eyes went wide at first, then her face turned to an almost frightened look, her arms shaking. Her body soon began to shake, then she jumped with a scream, landing into Kiai's arms. "It's a bug pokemon!" she screamed. Kiai was well aware of her fear of bug types, which had been caused by one fateful event involving her and about three Beedrills, one that Kiai had helped her out of.

Kiai grinned. "Just what I was looking for. Show 'em what you can do, Rattata!" Rattata leapt off of Kiai's shoulder with a fierce "RRRATTATA!" He landed just in front of the Caterpie, ready for battle. "Alright Rattata, lets start things off with a Scratch attack!" Rattata leapt at the Caterpie, and scratched at its nose. Instead of seriously hurting it, the Caterpie instead became enraged, and responded by tackling Rattata, a move which tossed him to the ground.

"Dammit!" shouted Kiai, "Don't give up Rattata! Give him another Scratch!" Rattata leapt at the Caterpie again, and scratched him in the same place. This time, the Caterpie winced in pain, and Kiai saw his chance. He drew a pokeball from his belt and hurled it at the weakened Caterpie. "You're mine now!" he shouted, as he threw it. It bounced off of the Caterpie's head, and sucked it in in a brilliant red flash. It wiggled twice, then the red light on the front changed to white. Kiai grinned. "One down." he spoke, as he scooped up his new pokemon.

"Yay!" Emily spoke, smiling. "That means you have two pokemon now." Her face seemed to change again to the frightened look. "Even if it is a bug pokemon..." she spoke in a low voice. "I still remember that day...those Beedrill..." she shuttered. "Bug pokemon are scary!" she shouted. Too bad for Emily, her shout scared a Caterpie up in a nearby tree, causing it to fall on her head. "Don't...tell me..." she shook heavily, trying not to scream. "Get...it...off..." she spoke, using all her strength not to freak out.

Kiai took out his pokedex and began punching buttons, sending the Caterpie to Professor Oak. He hardly looked up at Emily, and simply muttered "I'll get to it when it starts crawling down the back of your- OW!" He looked down, seeing that his Rattata had just bitten his foot. "Geez, it was just a joke…besides, you're injured." Rattata looked up scornfully at Kiai, then bit him again. "OW!! Ok ok, I get the idea. Let's try that Bite attack out on him." Rattata leapt up onto Emily's chest, and scrawled up to her head, where he bit the tail of the Caterpie as it was crawling down the back of her neck. It squealed in pain, and landed on the ground with a hard thump, then ran off back into the woods.

Emily gasped, as if she hadn't taken a breath in the last minute. She shivered and hugged Kiai. "Bug pokemon are creepy..." she spoke. "I'm sorry...I know it's kind of dumb...being afraid of bug pokemon...even though it's been several years since that event..." she sighed. Shellshocker seemed to roll his eyes.

"Squirtle squirt..." Shellshocker spoke, then blinked. Something caught his attention. He growled a little, and rightfully, too. Alex Shibata was now making his way out of Pallet Town as well. Alex stopped walking near Emily and Kiai. He gave a smirk.

Kiai turned to face Alex. "Well well well," Alex spoke, "if it isn't the love-birds playing with their bugs. I'll have you know I've already captured 5 pokemon, and by the looks of things it wouldn't be worth humiliating you." Rattata gave a fierce growl. "Oh ho ho! Looks like one of you has some guts, and it's the puny one no doubt." Alex pulled out a pokeball from his belt. "I suppose showing you how worthless you all are wouldn't be a complete waste of my time. Let's go, Bulbasaur!" The pokeball opened, and out popped a very irate Bulbasaur. Before Kiai could stop him, Rattata lunged at Bulbasaur, hitting it square in the face with a fierce Tackle, but simply bounced off. Alex could barely contain his laughter.

Emily growled. "Leave us alone, Alex!" she shouted. Shellshocker also growled. The Bulbasaur and Shellshocker seemed to look each other in the eyes. "Shellshocker, no," Emily spoke, noticing the look on Shellshocker's face.

"Squirtle!" Shellshocker shouted. He stood to his feet and inhaled. He then breathed out, firing a large blast of water at the Bulbasaur. It hit him, but Bulbasaur mostly just shook it off.

Alex laughed. "You're both pathetic." Emily growled. Shellshocker rushed forward, now striking Bulbasaur with a tackle. Bulbasaur reacted a bit more to this attack, as Squirtle was bigger and tougher then the small Rattata.

"Shellshocker, stop it!" Emily shouted, but Shellshocker seemed to be paying no attention to her.

Alex smirked, "Bulbasaur, finish this. Vine whip!" Two long vines shot out of Bulbasaurs back and smacked Shellshocker. The powerful Plant attack was too much, and Shellshocker fell down unconscious. "Now," said Alex, as he pulled out a pokeball, "I'll teach you what it's like to be humiliated." He threw the pokeball at Shellshocker, but Rattata leapt in front of it, and was drawn in.

"No!" shouted Kiai. The pokeball wiggled several times, and Rattata safely leapt out. "Damn you Alex, that's against the rules! You're not allowed to steal other people's pokemon! You can get banned for that!"

Alex chuckled, "Geez, it was just a joke. C'mon Bulbasaur, we have badges to win. Return!" Alex held out a pokeball, and Bulbasaur obediently returned. "Well that was fun. Later, chumps!" spoke Alex, as he turned and strolled confidently down the path to Viridian City.

Emily growled as she watched Alex walk off. She then turned to Shellshocker and knelt down, picking him up gently. "Shellshocker...you tried your hardest..." She hugged him. "I'm sorry you got hurt so badly." Her eyes darted towards the way Alex went, giving a cold glare. "That bastard...I hate that jerk...I don't care how many pokemon he has...he'll never be a good trainer...one day, he's going to do something stupid and get himself into some deep shit he can't get out of all because of how he treats his pokemon."

In a nearby bush, a small pokemon watched them. It didn't make its presence known in any way, nor could anyone tell it was there. "Mew," it spoke, then quickly flew off, making sure it wasn't seen.

Emily sighed. "Let's get to Viridian City and heal up our pokemon..." she then looked down at Shellshocker. "It was just too much..."

"They would heal inside their pokeballs..." spoke Kiai, looking down at Rattata, who was licking its wounds. He smiled, and continued, "But I don't think either of them would go for that." He knelt down by his small Rattata, which seemed to have grown a small amount in the past few minutes. He gently scooped it up in his hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Come on," he spoke, "let's get on the road to Viridian City!"

"Heh...yeah...I know Shellshocker hates his pokeball..." Emily spoke. "I spent five minutes trying to get him to go back into his, but he wouldn't..." She sighed. "Well, I guess the only way to go is north to Viridian, then." She smiled a little. "Even if Alex is a stupid bastard, I'll be happy when we get to Viridian." She pulled Shellshocker up against her and looked to Kiai. "Let's go." She turned her head forward and began walking forward.

"It will still take us a day or two to get there…we can hike for a few hours, but then we should set up camp. Hopefully Alex will be too eager, and he'll have gotten a good lead on us." Kiai looked up at the sun, and after gauging its position, said, "We have about 4 more hours until sundown."

"I know it's still a few days..." Emily spoke, "and our pokemon should heal up by themselves after they rest a bit." Emily and Kiai walked down the path, until the forest began to clear and opened up to rolling hills and meadows. A few Pidgey and Spearow could be seen, pecking amongst the grass. Emily blinked some, examining the meadow. "Wow!" she shouted, looking at all of the bird pokemon. "There's so many of them." She pulled out her pokedex and held it up to one of the Pidgeys.

"Pidgey, a bird type pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Pidgey has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from its familiar surroundings."

"Interesting," Emily spoke, then looked up at the Pidgeys around her. She then held it up to one of the Spearow.

"Spearow, a bird type pokemon," the pokedex spoke again. "Spearow has a very loud cry that can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around, it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger."

Kiai eyed the Spearow. He wanted a good Flying-type, but had a feeling Rattata wasn't up to the challenge just yet. "Perhaps tomorrow…" he thought to himself. They continued along the path, pointing out to each other some wild pokemon, and what they were doing. Kiai saw several Rattata running around in a circle, which his pokedex said was a technique to ward off aggressive flying-types, since it made them look like a coiled Ekans. Emily pointed out two Pidgeottos singing to each other, which her pokedex said was a sign that they had chosen each other as their mate. Kiai looked at Emily, and blushed a little when he heard. Fortunately for him, she didn't notice.

Night grew close and the two stopped, setting up a small camp in the meadow. Shellshocker had awoken and began walking on his own. Emily had managed to keep him out of battles by reminding him of what happened to him only a few hours before when he didn't listen to her. Emily smiled as she pulled out some food from her backpack and handed a little to Shellshocker, eating some herself. She looked up at Kiai, wondering what he had packed to eat. Hers wasn't much, unfortunately, just a small bit of food. While Kiai knew she wasn't a big eater, this seemed like a rather small amount of food, even for her.

Kiai wandered around the area, collecting dead branches and dried grass while Rattata rested next to Emily. He drew a length of string from his backpack, and using the bow method, had a small fire going in minutes. He also drew out some hard bread-type substance, and a small bit of meat, which he skewered on a stick and held over the fire. As it cooked, he crumbled up some of the hardtack, which Rattata gratefully ate. When the meat was done cooking, he cut it into four pieces, giving Emily the largest of the four, and divided up some bread. He also pulled out a canteen of water and two cups, having figured that Emily wouldn't have even considered any of this.

Emily blinked a little when Kiai handed her some meat. "Thanks..." she spoke, not expecting this. She took the meat and began to eat some, when she was then handed the cup of water. "Thanks, again," she spoke. Once she was done eating she grabbed her backpack and opened it. She first pulled out a sleeping bag, then pulled out a set of clothes she planned to use for her pajamas. She placed them on the sleeping bag, then stretched a bit.

Kiai pulled his own sleeping bag out as well, and unrolled it near the fire. He pulled out a towel as well, and coiled it around the snoozing Rattata. He then looked over at Emily, and asked, "Are you tired?"

"A little...it is getting pretty late." Emily looked up at the sky. It was dark now, the stars were in the sky, but no moon was visible. "That's right! Today was a new moon wasn't it?" she asked. "I actually forgot that." She stood to her feet, grabbing her pajamas as she did. "I'm going to change, no peeking, got it?" she spoke as she passed Kiai. There was no truly private areas around, save for a tiny group of bushes, but she figured she'd be okay if she just walked away from the camp, especially if she walked in the direction behind Kiai.

As tempted as he was to peek, Kiai instead slipped into his sleeping bag and laid back, staring up into the starry sky. The day had been a roller coaster of emotions, and it wouldn't stop. Even now, he was so excited that he was actually becoming a pokemon trainer that he felt as though tonight would be another sleepless one. He heard some rustling in the grass behind him, and began to wonder what Emily was doing. He blushed, and quickly returned his attention to the stars, trying to remember some of the constellations.

Emily reached behind her back, untying the top of her halter top, letting her chest out for a moment as she moved her hands down, also untying the bottom strap. She then dropped her skirt and stretched a little. She did wear panties, but she disliked bras, and thus, never wore one. She grabbed the pants she had brought and pulled them on, when she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. She quickly turned, ready to hit Kiai on the head, as she figured it was him trying to peep. However, her reaction was different when a small Weedle popped out of the bushes. It stared up at her and Emily's face quickly switched to its frightened look. She tried to hold it, but in the end, she screamed.

Kiai tore out of his sleeping bag in an instant and dashed into the grass. He could barely see the outline of Emily, but he made for it at top speed. One thing he couldn't see, however, was the Weedle, which he tripped over, and fell into Emily, knocking them both to the ground.

Emily blinked a moment as she found herself knocked to the ground. She stared, looking at Kiai on top of her. Kiai had been lucky, as one might say, since he had managed to fall in a rather interesting position. One of his hands rested on the ground, while the other had managed to land upon her breast. She blushed a little, but quickly pushed him off, covering her chest, and turning away from him. The Weedle was no longer in her mind, as she now had something else to think about. She was blushing heavily, and would have spoken had she known what to say.

Kiai quickly turned away, blushing profusely, and mumbling, trying to gather his thoughts. "I…er…um…s-sorry…" he managed, after a while. Whatever it was that had frightened her was now forgotten.

"I-it's ok...really..." Emily quickly grabbed her shirt, then pulled it on her. "It's more my fault...since I screamed..." she stood to her feet now, her face still deep red. "Maybe we should forget about this...and head to bed?" she asked, turning her head to look at Kiai. In the dark, she couldn't see he was blushing, but she figured he probably was. The Weedle which had scared her just passed through, now being completely ignored. It didn't take long for it to pass and vanish from view.

"Yes…" muttered Kiai, "we should get to bed." He got up and, trying not to look at Emily, made his way back to camp. He intentionally left off the part where he would forget about it. When he got back, he slipped into his backpack and gazed back up at the stars, but couldn't really focus on them. As Emily passed him on the way to her sleeping bag, she noticed that he was, indeed, quite red.

Emily just stared at him for a moment as she quietly slipped into her sleeping bag. She rolled over so her back was to him, then blushed a bit more. "It felt kind of nice," she whispered to herself. "I almost hope it happens again..." she turned her head back to look at Kiai for a single moment, then turned back, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Shellshocker quickly took his place next to Emily, snuggling up in her arms, as if he was a teddy bear.

Kiai stared at the stars a bit longer, then raised his hand to his face. He looked at it, remembering how it felt. He thought to himself, "I sure wish that would happen again…" He turned to look at Emily, and saw that she and Shellshocker were peacefully asleep. Rattata too, was sleeping, curled up in the towel. His eyes began to droop, and finally, he too fell asleep.

Emily lied in her sleeping bag as she slept. Shellshocker stirred a little, rolling onto his back. This made Jessica shift a little, but that's only where it began. A moment later, her head rolled, now facing the other way. Her face showed that she was beginning to fall into a nightmare. "No..." she began to mutter in her sleep. "Not...Shellshocker..." she rolled onto her other side now, facing Kiai. Cold sweat was beginning to form on her face as the nightmare grew worse. "No..." she mutter, louder this time. "No!" she spoke, now at normal volume. "No, you can't! No! Don't do it!" she now began to shout. "Leave me alone! No! Don't!" she shouted louder. "No!" she screamed loudly, loud enough to wake up Shellshocker, Rattata, and Kiai, but not herself. She was now rolling back and forth in her sleep, screaming.

Shellshocker scrambled out of Emily's arms as Kiai and Rattata ran over to her. The fire had died down to a few glowing embers, so it was hard to see, but Kiai managed to unzip her sleeping bag and pull her into his arms. "Emily! It's ok, it's just a dream! Wake up, Emily!"

The sudden movement from her sleeping bag, and into Kiai's arms, managed to startle her enough to wake her up, but not without a final scream as she quickly sat up, her eyes wide. She breathed heavily and looked around. She first searched for Shellshocker, then up at Kiai. Once she knew her dream was just a dream, she sighed, falling back against Kiai, her eyes closing. "It was just...a dream...thank god..." she wrapped her arms around Kiai, pulling him close. Whether it was on purpose, or subconsciously due to still being mostly asleep, was unknown. To Kiai, all that really mattered was having Emily in his arms, snuggled against him. She rested her head on his chest. "Kiai..." she spoke, sleepily, then her head slid a little, showing she had fallen to sleep again. Shellshocker stared, worried about his master and friend.

Kiai could feel her body go limp in his arms, and he knew she was asleep again. He didn't want to let go of her…but he knew he couldn't hold her all night. He laid her gently back down, and nodded to Shellshocker that it was ok to snuggle back up with her. He threw a few more branches on the fire, then dragged his sleeping bag over to Emily's. He laid down right behind her, and draped one arm over her. As Emily and Kiai drifted off to sleep, Rattata made a small squeak, which woke Shellshocker up. He looked at Rattata, then motioned for Rattata to come snuggle up with him, and they too fell back asleep.

The rest of the night managed to be pretty uneventful. She only had a single nightmare, which was quickly calmed by Kiai once again. In the morning, Emily awoke, giving a light groan. She sat up and looked at Kiai. She blushed a little, seeing he had slept next to her. "I'm sorry," she spoke quietly, then carefully slipped out of his grip and stood to her feet. "I better change before he wakes up." She quickly grabbed the clothes she had worn the day before and rushed to the bushes once more. Once she made sure there were no bug pokemon around, she began to pull her clothes off so she could change.

Feeling that she was no longer there, Kiai slowly woke up. When he saw that she was missing, he bolted upright and yelled, "Emily?!" as he looked around frantically and struggled out of his own sleeping bag.

Emily blinked as she heard her name. She quickly finished tying her halter top and peeked out of the bushes. "I'm just changing over here! Give me just a moment!" she shouted to him, then ducked under the bushes again, pulling on her skirt to finish dressing herself. She then stood up and walked out from behind the bushes, heading back to Kiai and the rest of the group. As she walked, she checked her outfit over one last time, pulling on it some to make sure the outfit was on just right.

When Kiai spotted her, he sat down and sighed heavily. "Don't scare me like that again." he spoke. As his sleepiness was leaving him, he reached into his backpack and pulled out two candy bars, handing one to Emily as she sat down. He poured them each some more water, and began to eat his, saving a good portion of it for Rattata. He couldn't help glancing up at Emily, noticing how pretty she looked in the morning sunlight.

Emily took the bar into her hand. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to wake up so quickly." She rubbed the back of her neck a little, then took a bite of her candy bar. She turned her head to look at the road ahead of them. "So, today we continue our journey to Viridian. Wonder what today will bring." She heard a chirp noise and looked up. A couple of wild Pidgeys were sitting on a branch building a nest together. She smiled, then looked back at Kiai. For a split second the memory of the night before returned to her and she blushed a little, quickly looking down.

"Today will bring new opportunities," spoke Kiai, as he held the candy bar down for Rattata to munch on, "and each one we must take." Emily smiled. She never really understood what he meant when he was speaking so cryptically, but he had done it ever since they were small, and it never failed to amuse her how mature Kiai could act sometimes. "Although…" he started, looking around the grass. Emily looked around too, but couldn't see what he was looking at. "Some opportunities," he continued, "have to be created." He reached into his bag and grabbed a small bit of hardtack, which he crumbled up and tossed onto the path. Immediately a few Spearow hopped out of the grass and began pecking at the crumbs.

Kiai looked down at Rattata, who looked back up at him expectantly. "You ready?" Kiai asked, and Rattata turned to face the Spearow, growling softly. "Ok Rattata…Tackle the nearest one." Rattata ran toward the nearest Spearow and leapt toward it, but they all flew off when they spotted him. One, however, turned around in mid-flight and dive-bombed Rattata, just as Kiai had expected. "Wait for it…wait for it… Now, Rattata, Dodge!" Rattata leapt out of the way, and the Spearow couldn't pull up in time. It landed hard, and Kiai took the chance. "Finish it, Rattata, Bite Attack!" Rattata leapt onto the Spearow before it could get back to its feet and bit it hard. It squawked, and just as Rattata leapt away, Kiai threw a pokeball. The Spearow was caught easily.

Emily squealed and clapped. "That was awesome." She smiled. "Your pretty good at this, you know? I just wish there were water pokemon around...but you aren't going to find any without a lake of some kind." She shrugged. "Oh well...I don't mind." She hugged Shellshocker. "I have a cute pokemon right here." Shellshocker just wagged his tail. She looked to the path they were soon going to be taking and sighed. "I wonder how far ahead of us Alex is...I kind of could care less how he's doing...it's more his pokemon I worry about...the last thing he needs is his pokemon disobeying him because he's stupid and abusive to them...though maybe it will make him realize what he is doing to them..." she sighed and looked down. She brushed the crumbs of her candy bar off her skirt, then looked back up. "We should get going soon."

"That we should" said Kiai, as he placed the pokeball with Spearow inside on his belt. He rolled up his sleeping bag and stuffed it into his backpack then stomped out the remaining embers of the fire. "If we're lucky, we might find a stream along the way. You might find a Goldeen in there, if you're lucky."

Emily giggled. "That would be awesome. Goldeen are cute..." she then thought for a moment and shivered. "Though, its evolved form isn't...oh well..." she shrugged. She stood to her feet, rolled up her sleeping bag, and put it in her backpack, along with her pajamas. She then picked it up and slung it over her back. She turned to look at Kiai and smiled. "I'm ready."

"Squirtle!" Shellshocker spoke, showing he was ready as well.

"Un-evolved water pokemon…you know, you might want to broaden your horizons a bit. Maybe get some rock or ground types in case you come across an electric type…or at least a normal type to balance- OOF!" Kiai tripped, and fell backwards, where he looked straight up into the face of a rather irate Shellshocker. "Of course, water-types are really swell, and no one could have too much of them!" he hastily added.

It was apparently enough, since Shellshocker muttered "Squirtle squirt…" and walked closer to Emily.

Emily giggled a little. "You are right. I should broaden my horizons some, but hey...I've heard of water pokemon taking on electric types and winning...granted, it was a rough battle, but they still won. If I can train them well, I might be able to do something like that." She sighed happily as she began to day dream. "I'd love to be a strong water trainer like that."

"Hey!" a voice suddenly called and Emily turned her head.

"Who was that?" she asked. From behind, a man was running towards them. He was fairly tall, taller then either Kiai or Emily, anyway. He stopped next to both of them, a smirk on his face.

"You two are beginner trainers, right?" the man asked. "I saw you walking by a moment ago and thought, 'Hey, I wonder if they'd be interested in a battle.' You see, I'm a beginner, too. I actually caught my own first pokemon."

Emily blinked. "Really? That's pretty cool."

"Yeah, want to battle?"

Emily looked to Kiai, then back at him. "Sounds fun." She smiled, then pushed Kiai towards the man. "You can battle him."

Kiai stumbled forward. "Err…ok!" He reached into his belt and pulled out the pokeball that held the Spearow he had just caught earlier. "Let's start things off. Spearow, I choose you!" He hurled the pokeball to the ground, and Spearow popped out. The Trainer considered his options, then grabbed a pokeball from his belt. "Alright Oddish, show him what you can do!" He threw it to the ground, and a small Oddish popped out.

Emily smiled. "Oddish against Spearow. This should be interesting, since Oddish has a type disadvantage against Spearow," she spoke.

"Oddish, Poison Powder!" the trainer shouted. Oddish pulled its leaves back, then waved them around. A purple powder seemed to spread from its leaves, floating towards Spearow. Emily quickly covered her mouth so she was sure that she wouldn't get hit by the attack as well.

Kiai grinned. This was definitely interesting. "Spearow, blow it away with your Gust attack!" Spearow flapped its wings, creating a small whirlwind, which traveled along the ground, dispersing the poison powder.

"Very clever," the trainer spoke, grinning. "This could be an interesting battle. Oddish, use absorb!" Oddish seemed to inhale, and he glowed green. Spearow would feel energy being sapped from him as it seemed to shoot off and hit Oddish, making him grow a little stronger. The Trainer chuckled. "Ha, how about that one for, you?"

"Fine with me. Spearow, show him how battles are won. Peck Attack!" Kiai shouted out. Spearow ran toward the Oddish, then flapped its wings and took to the air, flying only a few inches above the ground. As it zoomed past Oddish, it struck it hard with its beak.

Oddish was knocked back as it was hit by the attack. "Oddish odd!" Oddish spoke, standing back to its feet.

"Yeah, let's get him, Oddish!" the trainer spoke. "Oddish, use your absorb again!" Oddish once again seemed to inhale, directing its attack at Spearow once more. However, the attack failed to "lock on" to Spearow, causing Oddish to miss. "Crap..." the trainer spoke. Emily just watched. Shellshocker had now jumped onto Emily's shoulders and was watching the battle from there.

"Squirtle squirt squirtle!" he shouted to Spearow, who seemed to flap in happiness. It appeared that Shellshocker was praising Spearow.

"One more time ought to do it, grass types just can't match up to flying types. Spearow, give it another Peck Attack!" Spearow dive-bombed the Oddish, pecking it hard again. The Oddish fell, and the Trainer hastily returned it.

"Ok, that was good, I'll give you that. But try this one!" He pulled out another pokeball, "This one I caught myself. See if you can handle Beedrill!" He threw the pokeball to the ground, and a larger-than-normal Beedrill appeared, buzzing angrily.

Emily's eyes went wide at the sight of the Beedrill. She screamed and quickly fell to her knees, pushing her hands against her chest, shaking, her eyes shut tight. "Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker quickly spoke. "Squirtle!" It looked at Beedrill with an almost angry look.

The trainer blinked for a moment, but soon realized what was wrong. "Oh man...I'm sorry...I didn't realize she was scared of bug pokemon..."

"It's ok...she'll have to fight them on her own some day, and she'll lose if she doesn't overcome herself. That's part of what being a trainer is all about. It's not just our pokemon who grow. Although, there's more to it than that..." Kiai carefully considered his options. A weak Beedrill would be easy prey for a Spearow, but one so well-trained as this would prove difficult. Ultimately, he decided to go for broke. "Spearow, Fly into the sky!"

The trainer watched as the Spearow flew up high. He growled. "Beedrill, Focus Energy!" he shouted. The Beedrill seemed to shut its eyes as it focused its energy forward into its two large pins. It was getting ready for a good strong attack.

Kiai bit his lip. He was hoping the Beedrill would follow Spearow, allowing Spearow to out-fly it. But if the trainer was going to wait for Spearow to come back down, then he would have the advantage. Suddenly he had an idea. "Spearow!" he called out, "With the sun behind you, attack from the east!"

The Spearow did as it was commanded. It quickly flew into the sun, causing the Beedrill to raise its pin to see it. The Spearow then shot forward, aimed directly for Beedrill. "Crap! Dodge it!" the trainer shouted, but Beedrill was struck by the attack. The attack knocked the Beedrill to the ground, but it wasn't out yet. Emily opened her eyes now, still shaking, but trying to fight her fears. Beedrill was the one she was scared of the most. "Beedrill, Focus Energy again!" The Beedrill flew into the sky once more and began to focus his energy once more. "Now, unleash your Fury Attack!" Beedrill flew straight for Spearow and, before it could dodge, Beedrill's pins quickly shot forward, striking the Spearow several times in a row, the attack being more powerful then normal. The trainer smirked, watching. "That's it!"

Spearow fell to the ground, hurt bad but still able to fight. Kiai decided it was enough, and held out a pokeball. "Enough is enough Spearow, return!" Before Kiai returned the pokeball to his belt, he whispered into it, "You did good."

The trainer laughed, "How do you like me now?! No one can beat my Beedrill!"

Kiai grinned, "Then I guess I'm no one. Rattata, lets do this right. Tail Whip!" Rattata waved his tail at the Beedrill, confusing it slightly and forcing it to drop its guard. The Beedrill flew in one spot, watching the Rattata tail. The trainer blinked. Kiai then called out "Quick Attack!" Before the Beedrill could react, the Rattata had vanished, then, from behind, it struck him, knocking him to the ground.

"Beedrill!" the trainer shouted. Rattata hopped off the Beedrill, and the trainer could see the swirls in his Pokemon's eyes. "You did good," he spoke, holding the pokeball out. "Beedrill, return!" he shouted, and the pokemon returned to its pokeball. "Very good. I didn't realize you were such a good trainer. This Beedrill was my first pokemon...caught it just the other day, actually." He smiled and walked up to Kiai. "Good battle," he spoke, holding out his hand to shake Kiai's hand. "By the way, my name is Jarod. What's yours?"

Kiai smiled and shook his hand. "My name is Kiai, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jarod. I suppose we'll see you around, if you ever make it to the Pokemon League Championship."

Jarod blushed slightly, "I'll never make it there...that's only for people who are really good."

Kiai smiled, "You're good, just do your best. I'm sure you can make it if you try."

Jarod smiled back, encouraged by the compliment, "Thank you, I will try!" With that, he waved, and turned down the path, to follow his own adventure.

Kiai walked to Emily and knelt down beside her, putting his arm around her. "It's ok Emily, its gone now. Don't worry."

Emily shook a bit more, then hugged Kiai. "I'm so scared of bug Pokemon..." she buried her face in Kiai's chest and actually began to cry. "Why can't I get over this?" she spoke through her tears. "It's been six years...and I've only grown more and more scared of them..." Shellshocker walked over to Emily and hugged her the best a Squirtle could hug someone.

Kiai held her tight. "It's ok," he spoke, "you'll get over it...I know you will. I'll be right here, right by your side, every step of the way. Don't you worry about a thing."


	3. Team Rocket

**Chapter 3: Team Rocket**

Emily and Kiai had been traveling a little ways now. Emily groaned a little. "Man, I never imagined there was so much walking involved in this! My feet are getting tired!" She soon plopped down, groaning. "I'm tired." Kiai, however, was stern as ever, and seemed un-phased by the length they had walked so far.

Kiai looked down at Emily and raised an eyebrow. "You do realize we'll have traveled, on foot, from coast to coast and beyond before we're done, right?"

Emily groaned. "Don't remind me..." she sighed. "I was all excited about this day, but I never realized how much walking would be involved..." she sighed as Shellshocker hopped off her shoulder and looked up at her.

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke. Emily sighed.

Kiai sighed. "Well, I guess we're taking a break." He pulled off his backpack and sat down beside Emily. "You know, if you're really that tired, I can carry you. But don't get into the habit...I won't carry you down Victory Road..."

Emily shook her head. "No, it's ok...I'll get used to it...If we just take occasional breaks, eventually I will get used to it enough." Shellshocker, seeing that they had, indeed, decided to take a break, ran over to where Rattata now was sitting and began having a conversation with him. Emily giggled. "Almost wish we knew what they were saying."

"Yeah, me too." Kiai leaned back and stretched his feet out. "I suppose we'll get to Viridian City by tomorrow, at this rate. Maybe the day after. Hey..." he sat up straight, suddenly deep in thought. "I just realized, Slate is going to be the first Gym leader we come across. You'll probably have an easier time with him then I will!"

"That's true, but only if I fight with Shellshocker more. He hasn't been in a Pokémon battle since yesterday...and he lost that one...so odds are he really didn't get any experience from it..." she sighed and looked at Shellshocker. He was still talking with Rattata.

Kiai smiled, "It's ok, there's a long road yet to Viridian, and the bug forest after that before we get to Pewter City."

"B-bug F-forest?" Emily asked. She had now begun to shake. Her fear of bug Pokémon came out once more and she shut her eyes, trying to calm herself, but it wasn't working well.

Kiai put his arm around her, "Relax," he whispered, "It's full of trainers. You can't go two steps without being forced into a fight. Plus, you'll be with me. We'll leave Viridian early in the morning and go straight through. It'll be fine."

"Y-yeah...I guess you're right..." Emily spoke, sighing. With Kiai holding her, she felt more secure. "I'm glad your with me." She put her head against his chest. There was then an odd noise from the bushes nearby. Emily looked towards the bushes, wondering what was going on.

The bush opened a little, two eyes that seemed to glow were looking at them. "Psy," a voice spoke from the bushes. "Duck!" the voice shouted as a Psyduck then fell out of the bush. It looked badly bruised, but there was something else strange about this Psyduck. It was an odd blue color, and its skin almost seemed to shine.

"Hey, a Psyduck," Kiai spoke, not really noticing how the Psyduck was injured, nor that it seemed to shine. "You know, they get some crazy powerful Psychic attacks when they evolve." As much as he wanted to stand up and catch it, he knew Emily would want to try her luck first. "He's all yours, Emily. Show me your moves!"

Emily blinked. "Yeah...but..." she stood up. "It looks hurt..." she quickly ran over to it, kneeling down. "Oh my..." she put her hand on the Psyduck as she looked at it. She bit her lip as she pulled out a pokéball. "I know I'm supposed to weaken it first but...it already looks really weak." She tossed her pokéball at it, and it opened, absorbing the Psyduck inside of it. It landed on the ground and wobbled for a minute before the red light vanished. Instead of being happy, she was worried as she scooped the ball up into her hands.

Kiai walked to her and looked at the ball in her hands. "Do you think it's hurt? If it is...we're still some time away from Viridian...and we can't turn back to Pallet Town..."

Emily bit her lip. "There's no Pokémon centers between here and there, is there?" she asked and sighed, looking down at the ball. "It was obviously hurt, because it had been bruised some...I just hope it isn't a Pokémon that ran away from its trainer...because that would just be awful..." There was another sound from behind her in the bushes once more. She turned around, her eyes coming face-to-face with a tall man wearing a black outfit with a red R on it.

"Uh oh, I've been spotted," the man spoke. He quickly reached down and grabbed a pokéball from his belt. "Hey, you, girl, you seen a Psyduck come through here? A blue one?" Emily didn't say anything.

Kiai stepped forward. "Yes, we did," Kiai spoke. "It looked like it was hurt, but when we approached it, it ran away." He pointed at the bushes across the path. "It went that way. Was it yours?"

The man grinned. "Oh really? Well, it's not mine, but soon it will be the property of Team Rocket." He tossed his pokéball in the air and it opened, unleashing a large, round, rock-like Pokémon. "I know you have that Psyduck, so how about you give it over real nice like?"

Emily growled a little. "So you're the one that beat it down so badly?" she looked to Shellshocker. "Get ready," she spoke and Shellshocker turned, nodding. He rushed to Emily's side and the two looked towards the Team Rocket member in front of them. "I'll never forgive you for harming this Psyduck."

"Ha! Who needs forgiveness?" the Team Rocket member spoke. "You kids don't know who you're messing with. Team Rocket always obtains what it wants. Graveler, get in there and show this girl who she's meddling with." The large Pokémon jumped in between the man and Emily, shaking the ground as it did. It looked like a formidable opponent. "That's a nice Squirtle you have, girl. That'll fetch a decent price. After I humiliate you, I'll take it for myself."

Emily growled. "That's what you think." She looked to Shellshocker who nodded. "Get ready," she spoke. "Shellshocker, use Water Gun!" Shellshocker inhaled and, like before, shot out a large burst of water from its mouth. It shot forward and struck the Graveler hard, but the Team Rocket member just grinned.

"A pathetic Squirtle like that can't hurt my Graveler. Graveler, use Rock Throw!" the Team Rocket Member shouted. Graveler jumped into the air and brought its hands together. It almost seemed to form a large rock in its hands, which he then tossed the rock at Shellshocker.

"Dodge it!" Emily shouted. Shellshocker barely managed to jump out of the way. "Quickly, Water Gun!" Squirtle inhaled again, then shot a burst of water straight up into the air, striking the Graveler and sending it flying up, then slamming into the ground. The Graveler slowly rose to its feet, not knocked out yet.

Kiai leaned close to Emily and whispered in her ear, "Careful Emily...this might not be the only one he has...save some gusto for later."

The man growled, "Ok girl, you asked for it. Graveler, Dig Attack!" The Graveler began spinning quickly, and burrowed straight down into the dirt. "What's your plan now, girl?"

Emily growled. "I know," she whispered back to Kiai. "Shellshocker, be careful, we don't know where he'll pop up." Shellshocker's eyes began to dart around as it felt the ground.

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke. Suddenly, Graveler jumped out of the ground from directly under him. This sent him flying into the air, and soon landing hard on his back.

"Shellshocker!" Emily shouted, and Shellshocker slowly stood back to his feet. He growled now. Emily blinked as Shellshocker rushed forward. Shellshocker jumped up, twirling and striking the Graveler with its tail. It knocked the Graveler back some as it landed on its feet. Emily quickly pulled out her pokédex and held it up.

"When angry," the Pokédex began, "Pokémon can be known to go into a blind rage, which increases their power, but also makes them less likely to dodge attacks."

Kiai instinctively drew a pokéball from his belt. "Tsk tsk tsk," the Team Rocket Member spoke, "two on one isn't fair. But don't worry boy, you'll get your chance. Graveler, give it another Rock Throw." Graveler reached into the dirt and drew out a rock, and hurled it at Shellshocker. It bounced off its head, knocking him back but not out. Shellshocker glared at Graveler, and looked like he was going to charge again.

Kiai hissed into Emily's ear, "You can't keep letting him do this! He's your Pokémon, he needs your help! Tell him what to do!"

Emily bit her lip once more. "Shellshocker! Listen to me! Use your Water Gun!" she shouted. Shellshocker growled a little more, then inhaled once more. Using his rage, Shellshocker pushed the water out of his mouth and at Graveler once again, but this time much harder. The attack hit Graveler hard, and soon knocked it back, and out.

"What?!" the Team Rocket member shouted. "This just can't be..." he growled. "Stupid useless Pokémon!" he shouted, kicking the Graveler, then hoping on his foot a little as he felt the pain that would come from hitting a huge rock with your foot. "Graveler, return!" he shouted, holding out his pokéball. The beam shot forward and absorbed Graveler back into it. "You'll pay for messing with Team Rocket, mark my words!" he shouted, then turned and ran off.

Emily sighed and Shellshocker walked back over to Emily. She hugged him and smiled. "That was wonderful, Shellshocker, you did great." She then looked at the pokéball in her hand. The pokéball itself had changed color slightly, becoming a blue color like the Psyduck it held. "Maybe if we run, we can get to Viridian before sundown?" Emily asked, looking at Kiai. "We really need to get him to a Pokémon Center."

Kiai looked around frantically. "Damn, if only we could get a bicycle from someone...wait!" He held the pokéball in his hand out. "Spearow, we need you!" The pokéball opened, and Spearow obediantly popped out onto the ground. Kiai reached into his bag and pulled out a small notebook and pencil, and scribbled a hasty message onto it. He tore off the page, and wrapped it around Spearow's foot, then grabbed the blue pokéball from Emily's hand. He held it out to Spearow, saying "Spearow, take this to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Make sure Nurse Joy gets the message! We'll be there as soon as we can." Spearow trilled, and flew into the air, snatching the pokéball from Kiai's open palm and flying off due north.

"That's a good idea," Emily spoke, nodding. "I hope it'll be okay..." she hugged Kiai. "I'd hate for something bad to happen to it just because of that stupid trainer..." she sighed. "We should still run as fast as we can."

"You're right. Rattata, lets go." Rattata scrambled up onto Kiai's shoulder. He hoisted his backpack up, and darted down the path, turning around just long enough to yell to Emily, "Keep up!"

"Of course," Emily spoke, grabbing Shellshocker and tossing him on her back. She gripped her backpack tight and began running after Kiai. It took them until sundown, but after a few hours of running, they managed to make it in time.

The two burst into the Pokémon center, heaving and panting, sweat pouring down their faces. The sun was setting; they had been running nearly non-stop all day. Kiai helped Emily, who was nearly completely spent, over to a chair in the waiting area, then ran up to the front counter, behind which stood a very proper-looking Chansey. "Um, excuse me, we sent a Spearow here earlier...er..." Kiai was somewhat at a loss, not knowing exactly how to hold a conversation with a Pokémon.

Chansey seemed to understand however, as it squeaked "Chansey chansey!" and ran off through the double doors leading to the medical area. Shortly after, Nurse Joy emerged, looking disheveled but smiling.

"I see," Nurse Joy spoke sweetly, "you were the ones who sent the Spearow. We received it earlier today, it was quite worn, I hope you haven't been mistreating it. The Psyduck, however, is certainly a unique case..."

"Is it okay?" Emily asked. "I know it was pretty beat up from that Team Rocket guy..."

"Team Rocket?" Nurse Joy asked. "I see..." she thought for a moment. "Perhaps that's it, then."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

Nurse Joy sighed. "Team Rocket has been developing a virus known as the Pokémon Virus, or Pokérus. It makes Pokémon shine, and makes them stronger as well. Some cases have seen Pokémon gain strange abilities they could otherwise never gain..." Nurse Joy sighed. "I fear this Psyduck may be infested with the Pokérus."

"A virus that makes Pokémon stronger...I don't like that one bit," sighed Kiai. "Is there anything you can do about it, Nurse Joy?"

"No, there is no way to counter the Pokérus," Nurse Joy spoke, shaking her head and sighing. "However, if you were the ones who caught him, then that Psyduck is officially registered to you. So, I plan to nurse it back to health, then give it back to you, as long as you promise not to abuse it."

Emily shook her head. "Of course we won't, Nurse Joy. I love Pokémon." She looked to Shellshocker, who looked at her and smiled. "Especially water types."

"Then when I finish healing it, I'll give it back to you. Be careful, though, Team Rocket is experimenting all over the place, so you may run into more Pokémon like these. The best thing you could do is probably catch them, so that Team Rocket can't."

"We'll be sure to keep an eye out for them, Nurse Joy. And we'll spread the word to every trainer we meet. In the meantime..." he looked at Emily, and she looked as tired as he felt. "...I think we need to rest for the night. But first...is Spearow ok?"

Nurse Joy smiled, "Of course it is. You can retrieve it at any time."

"Thank you," said Kiai, bowing to Nurse Joy. She led them into the medical area, down the hall a short way and into a small room, where Spearow was standing on a small bed, pecking at a loaf of bread. Kiai walked over to it, beaming. He reached up and stroked Spearow's feathers, whispering to it, "You did good. Thank you." Spearow trilled happily, and Kiai returned it to its pokéball.

"And now," said Nurse Joy, "to bed. I'll show you two to our guest wing." She led them out of the medical area, and down another hall that looked like a dormitory. She opened a door to a room, empty except for two beds, a lamp, and a phone on a small bureau. "You two can sleep here for the night, I'll wake you up tomorrow morning." Kiai and Emily both thanked Nurse Joy as she left, and the two fell into their beds. Rattata curled up on Kiai's pillow, and Shellshocker curled up with Emily

Emily snuggled into her bed with Shellshocker. She had, naturally, changed into her pajamas before heading to bed, though she had begun to notice Kiai never did, and began to wonder if he even had any other clothes with him. She shrugged it off and fell asleep. She hoped the night would be uneventful, unlike the night before, but it wasn't. Once again the nightmare began to grip her. She began to roll around in her bed, beginning to breathe heavily as she groaned. "No, you can't..." she spoke. "No, don't come any closer...you can't..." She screamed as she found herself waking up this time. Shellshocker jumped at the scream and looked at Emily, a very worried look on its face.

Kiai was up too, and Emily soon saw him looking over Shellshocker. "Not again, Emily..." he spoke, with a very worried look on his face.

Emily sighed as she closed her eyes. "Every night..." she spoke. She shut her eyes tighter. Finally, she tossed the covers from her bed and ran to Kiai's bed. She hopped onto it and hugged him. Her grip seemed to say that she didn't want to let him go.

Kiai sighed to himself. He wished he could get into the head of his friend and help her, but he knew he couldn't. He pulled the blankets over them, wrapped his arms around Emily, and held her close. "It's ok," he whispered softly, "I'm here."

Emily sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "C-can I...sleep here tonight...?" she asked through her sniffles. She didn't want to be away from Kiai at this time.

Kiai paused, but eventually said, "Yes, of course you can." He held her tighter, not wanting to let her go either.

"Thank you," Emily spoke, holding Kiai as close to her as she could. She soon managed to drift back off to sleep. Once she was asleep, Kiai also allowed himself to drift into sleep. The night was mostly uneventful from there on. As day came, Nurse Joy opened the door to their room. She awoke them and Emily stretched a bit. As she rolled onto her side, Kiai shifted a little, their lips touching, and his hand gently resting upon her breast, which was covered only by her shirt. Kiai, however, hadn't awoken yet, and she blushed.

Kiai shifted slightly in his sleep, pushing his hand into Emily's breast and his lips into hers. Emily blushed even more. She was actually enjoying it a little, but this wasn't really how she had imagined her first kiss. After a moment, however, she pushed him off the bed, making him fall with a fairly loud "Thud!" This awoke and dazed him. Emily looked down a bit, her face turning a little redder.

Kiai slowly opened his eyes, staring straight up at Emily. He let out a long, drawn-out, painful "...Oooooowwwwwwwwww..."

Emily giggled a little. "Well, that's what you get for groping me in your sleep." She turned, trying to pretend like she was upset. Once she had her face turned away from him, though, she blushed a bit more. She was trying to get the thought out of her mind, but the more she tried, the more she thought of it.

"Groping you...?" Kiai laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, a look of utter confusion plastered on his face.

"Yeah, grabbing my breasts, like you did the night before last, too," Emily spoke, turning to look at him and sticking her tongue out at him. "Anyway...I'm going to change..." She stood to her feet, grabbed her backpack, and headed off to the bathroom.

Kiai's face turned red as it sunk in what he did, though he didn't really feel it was worth knocking him to the ground. He got up, and pulled a change of clothes out of his backpack, and proceeded to undress. He pulled out a non-descript white t-shirt and a pair of shorts, identical to what he was already wearing, save for a little less dirt. He pulled them on, decided he was still tired, and crawled back into the bed, pulling the blanket over his head.

Emily entered the bathroom and walked in, setting her backpack down next to her. She shut the door, locked it, and proceeded to pull off her shirt. She dropped her pants, then walked to the nearby mirror and looked into it. After a moment, she turned and walked back to her backpack, now pulling out a different outfit, consisting of a blue mini skirt that had little cyan colored polka dots, along with a brown halter top, which she first tied at the bottom, then pulled up and tied around her neck. Once she was done, she pulled on her outfit a little, then frowned. "Either this outfit shrank, or I grew a bit since I last wore it...cause it's tighter then I remember..."

Emily then proceeded to put her clothes back in her backpack. She then left the bathroom and opened the door to their room. She blinked when she saw the big lump in Kiai's bed. She sighed. "Kiai, come on, wake up." She walked over and pulled the sheets off his bed.

Kiai sat up, grabbed the sheets from Emily's hands, and laid back down, mumbling something about "five more minutes."

Emily sighed, then, once again, pushed Kiai off the bed. "Get up you lazy bum."

Kiai's hand reached out of the tangle of blankets that he fell off the bed with, grabbed the pillow, and pulled it down to the floor. Emily sighed. She looked to Shellshocker and nodded. Shellshocker rushed over to him and, once Emily had removed any covers that covered him, Shellshocker inhaled, blasting Kiai with his Water Gun attack. "Wake up, you lazy bum." She then pulled the pillow away and hit him on the head with it.

Kiai sat up, his head dripping wet. He stood up to face Emily, then shook his head violently, splashing her with droplets of water. Emily held her hands up to try and block the water. Once he was done, she giggled. "Serves you right," she spoke. "Next time you should wake up when I tell you to."

Kiai glared at her for a few seconds, then smiled. "Yes Ma'am," he spoke and snapped his hand up in a mock salute, clicking his heels together.

Emily gave him a half glare, then turned. "Anyway, let's grab some food and go see how that Psyduck is doing."

"Good call," Kiai said, grabbing his backpack as Rattata leapt onto his shoulder. They strolled out of the Pokémon Center into the bright morning sun. It was a picturesque day, and so early in the morning, nearly no one was out yet. They spotted a cafe just down the street, where they had their breakfast. Emily tried out a few desserts, while Kiai scrolled through his Pokédex for information the Pokérus, and Squirtle blew bubbles for Rattata to chase.

While she ate happily, Emily couldn't help but think about the Psyduck that was still at the Pokémon Center. After she had finished, she pulled out her pokedex. "Psyduck...hmm..."

"Psyduck, the duck Pokémon," the Pokédex spoke, "when its headache intensifies, it starts using strange powers. However, it has no recollection of its powers, so it always looks befuddled and bewildered."

"Hmm...so it uses its powers best when it has a headache?" she pushed a button, which moved to the next Pokémon in the list.

"Golduck, the duck Pokémon, he is the evolved form of Psyduck. The webbed flippers on its forelegs and hind legs and the streamlined body of Golduck give it frightening speed. This Pokémon is definitely much faster than even the most athletic swimmer."

"So it evolves into Golduck, huh? Interesting." Emily smiled. "Golduck looks so awesome!"

"Mmm..." nodded Kiai, without looking up from his own pokédex, "Golduck is critical for water-type trainers, as it's hands-down the strongest Water-type with Psychic powers. Sure you have Slowbro and Polywrath, but they're both far too difficult to deal with." Once again, Kiai seemed to be a walking, talking pokédex. At length, he closed his pokédex and stood up. "Come on, I know you're eager to see how Psyduck is doing."

Emily blinked and closed her pokédex as well. "Yeah, that Psyduck was pretty badly injured yesterday, so I really do hope it is okay now." Emily stood to her feet and followed Kiai back to the Pokémon Center. There, Nurse Joy greeted them.

"Welcome back," Nurse Joy spoke.

"Thank you, how is that Psyduck doing? Is he okay?" Emily asked.

Nurse Joy smiled. "He's perfectly fine, today," her face changed to showing sadness as she finished, "but he still has the Pokérus. So please, keep watch on him, won't you?"

"I will," Emily spoke, nodding. Nurse Joy handed the still blue pokéball to Emily.

"What about the pokéball?" Emily asked.

"It's a result of the Pokérus. The pokéball becomes shiny as well..."

Emily looked at it. "Interesting...well, as long as Psyduck is okay." She tossed the pokéball to the ground, and the blue Psyduck popped out.

"Psy...duck..." the Psyduck spoke as it tilted its head.

"I'll nickname you..." she thought for a moment. "Goldy."

"Psy...duck..." the Psyduck spoke as it tilted its head.

Kiai raised an eyebrow. "I...guess that means he approves?"

"Psy...duck..." the Psyduck once again spoke as it once again tilted its head.

"...Sure, why not," Kiai spoke. "Anyway, Nurse Joy, is the Pokérus contagious?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "No, we can get it to the point where contaminated Pokémon won't spread it to others."

"Well, that's good, I suppose...I'd hate for all of our other Pokémon to catch it...although..." she thought for a moment, envisioning what Shellshocker would look like shiny. She shook her head and shrugged it off. "While I don't agree with it, it does make the Pokémon look pretty cool." She held up the blue pokéball. "Goldy, return!" the beam shot out and absorbed the blue Psyduck into the ball. She turned to look at Kiai. "I'm a little surprised you didn't ask why I named it Goldy, as it isn't a Golduck, or gold colored."

Kiai shrugged. "I remember when we were young and you used to call me Ponyta. Ever since then, I never really questioned your decisions in naming things...I knew it would just be asking for trouble." Kiai was sadly unable to dodge the smack that Emily aimed for the back of his head.

Emily cleared her throat, then turned away from Kiai. "Well, anyway, if we're going to go for badges, we should start making our way to Pewter City, right?"

Kiai was about to answer that question when a loud "Stop thief!" was heard outside. Emily quickly darted forward to find out what was going on. Outside the Pokémon Center stood a scared woman. "That man stole my son's Pokémon!" she told Emily, and Emily turned, seeing a man running off. He was a bit far to see clearly, but he didn't wear a Team Rocket outfit, or so it appeared.

Kiai ran outside just after Emily, as Officer Jenny ran past them, blowing her whistle. Kiai quickly grabbed a pokéball on his belt. "Spearow, Peck Attack!" Spearow popped out of the pokéball in mid-flight, and flew swiftly toward the thief. It passed Jenny and caught up to the thief, pecking madly at his head, stalling him just long enough for Jenny, Kiai, and Emily to catch up.

"Get off me, you dumb bird!" the man shouted.

"Stop right there," Jenny spoke, grabbing the man by the arm. "Who are you, and what are you up to?"

The man growled, then looked to see Emily and Kiai approaching him as well. The man grinned. "Awesome, the bosses plan worked," he spoke, pulling his arm from Officer Jenny. "Listen, Officer, I'm just doing a job my boss told me to do. You see, he said if I steal a Pokémon sometime around this time, he was certain that you two," he said the last part as he turned to look at Kiai and Emily, "would appear." He tossed the pokéball up and down in his hand. "So, here, you can have your ball back, now that I've gotten your attention." He tossed the pokéball away and Jenny caught it quickly. "I challenge you to a two-on-two match. You both bring out a Pokémon, and I'll bring out two of mine." The man grinned. "Winner takes the loser's Pokémon."

"We decline." spoke Kiai simply.

"Aww, what's wrong, you scared?" the man asked, laughing. Officer Jenny once again grabbed the guy. "I told you, you can have your ball back, now go away." He managed to break free of Officer Jenny, then hit her in the side with his arm, knocking her down. He smirked as he looked back at Kiai and Emily. "Now, then, as I was saying. You and I are going to duel, two-on-two, or do you need some convincing?" He pulled out a pokéball and tossed it into the air.

A snake like Pokémon appeared and hissed. "Ekans, let's convince them to duel. Use your wrap attack...on Officer Jenny!" The Ekans obeyed, wrapping itself around Officer Jenny and squeezing her tight. Jenny tried to break free, but couldn't. "Now, for every time you decline, my Ekans will squeeze her harder." He pulled out two more pokéballs. "Go, Sandslash and Charmeleon!" he shouted. He tossed the two pokéballs into the air and a brown, mole like Pokémon popped out of one, the other was more like an orange dragon without wings with a fire at the end of its tail.

Kiai stared at the man for a while, debating his position. Finally, he decided. "Spearow, Rattata, Shellshocker...attack the Ekans." Kiai himself lunged at the man, his fist balled up, hitting him square in the nose. The man didn't have time to react before Kiai hit him again in the gut, doubling him over. Before Kiai could do anymore, he felt a surge of pain on his back, and warm blood drip down; Sandslash was defending its master, while the Charmeleon didn't seem to care.

Kiai turned, but couldn't do much more than back away, until a large red glove punched the Sandslash hard in the side of the face, sending it skidding across the ground. "Good work, Hitmochan!" shouted Jenny, as Spearow, Rattata, and Shellshocker wrestled with the out-matched Ekans. The man looked up, a bead of blood flowing from his nose.

"Dammit!" he spoke, and holding out a pokeball, "Sandslash, ret-" at that point, a pair of handcuffs fell over his wrist. "You're under arrest for Pokémon theft and association with known criminal element Team Rocket, as well as assaulting an officer of the law." Jenny picked the man up by the collar, and began dragging him away. As she did, he looked back and scowled at Kiai and Emily.

"Team Rocket won't give up!" the man shouted.

Emily sighed and shook her head. "Some people..." she sighed and shrugged. "I guess it's good to know none of his Pokémon have the Pokérus, though...so Team Rocket isn't infecting all of their Pokémon with it." She sighed again. "Anyway, we should get going...I sure hope that's the last we see of Team Rocket...at least for now."

"They won't try anything with Jenny on the watch, but as soon we leave the city limits all bets are off." Kiai sighed. He was expecting action and adventure, but he wasn't expecting his safety to be at risk. He looked down at Rattata, who was looking proudly back up at him. He smiled. Somewhere inside him, he knew they would make it through ok. He pointed a pokéball at Spearow and called out, "Good job Spearow, Return!" Spearow zapped back into its pokéball, and Kiai knelt down and lifted Rattata up.

Kiai gazed into Rattata's eyes, and it seemed to stare back. Rattata seemed just as determined as Kiai did. "Right." he said, placing Rattata on his shoulder and turning toward Emily. "Should we be off? If Team Rocket won't relent, neither will I. I'll see this through to the end, no matter what."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, let's go...I doubt that Team Rocket will try much of anything once we get into..." she paused and shuddered. "Viridian Forest..." She shuddered again and wrapped her arms around Kiai. "You'll be there to help me, right?"

"No, I'm going to leave you at the first Kakuna cluster." Kiai spoke, sounding very indifferent.

"You better be joking about that," Emily spoke, pushing against him a little.

"Joking about what? Dropping a Caterpie down the back of your shirt?" Kiai spoke, still sounding indifferent, and somewhat cold.

Emily pouted. "You wouldn't really do that, would you?"

Kiai leaned down and put his face close to hers, a very stern look in his eyes. He paused, staring hard at her. "No." he said simply, and broke into a grin as he playfully tapped her nose.

Emily let go of him and put her hands on her hips, her face showing a somewhat annoyed look. "That wasn't very funny, you know?"

"Listen kiddo..." Kiai began, his voice softening. "If I can beat off three Beedrills with a stick for you, I can be there to see you claim first prize at the Pokémon Tournament Championship." He smiled, and began walking down the road...before he paused, turned around, and sheepishly said, "If I let you win, that is," before breaking into a run.

"If you let me win?" Emily growled a little, but playfully. She then dashed off towards him, quickly snatching Shellshocker off the ground as she did. The two then began to run off towards Viridian Forest and the next great part of their adventure.


	4. Of Beedrills and Bug Pokemon

**Chapter 4: Of Beedrills and Bug Pokémon**

It didn't take much time at all before they found themselves at the entrance to Viridian Forest. The meadow had stopped, returning to trees once more as Viridian Forest now stood before them. Kiai and Emily stopped at the entrance and Emily stood behind Kiai, wrapping her arms around him as she began to shake. "Okay, Emily...they're just bug Pokémon...you can handle this..." she spoke, then bit her lip. "I hope I can do this..."

Kiai and Emily walked down the main path of the forest, and Kiai spotted several different varieties of Pokémon, mostly Caterpie and Metapod, with a few Butterfree's flying amongst the treetops. Weedles, being a bit shyer, were harder to find. "See?" spoke Kiai, gently nudging Emily, "there's nothing to be afraid of. You're perfectly safe."

One Caterpie crawled up to Emily and she looked down at it. Her face turned to fear, but she tried her hardest not to move. It began to move closer, and she continued to fight, but the closer it got, the less she could. Finally, she lost it when it grabbed onto her leg and began crawling up. At that pointed she jumped back, falling onto her butt. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" she spoke frantically as she waved her leg around, finally tossing the bug Pokémon off her leg. "It's creepy and gross!" she spoke loudly.

Kiai shrugged. Experience was experience. He pointed at the Caterpie, and shouted, "Rattata, Quick Attack!" Rattata dashed toward the Caterpie, head butting it and sending it flying into the forest.

Emily sighed and stood up. "I hope I can get rid of this fear eventually...or at least turn it into bug Pokémon just being gross...instead of scary AND gross..." she looked at her leg. "Honestly, though, it is really creepy to feel a Caterpie walking up your bare leg like that...not to mention just gross..."

Kiai hung his head. "You know, Emily, we're going to be going up against a tried-and-tested Gym leader in only a few days. Shellshocker barely has any fighting experience, and you have about the same. This is pretty much your last chance to become comfortable with Pokémon battles. I'm sorry that it's against Bug-types, but think of it this way; you can overcome your fear at the same time."

Emily sighed. "I know..." she hung her head as well. "I really haven't been worrying about experience much..." she looked up at the bug Pokémon around her. "All right...let's give this a try I guess...Shellshocker, tackle that one over there." Emily pointed to a nearby Caterpie and Shellshocker rushed forward. The Caterpie turned to look at Shellshocker, only to get struck in the head by a Tackle. The Caterpie bounced back a little, then shook its head.

The Caterpie rushed forward, Tackling Shellshocker now. Shellshocker took the hit and bounced back a little. "Shellshocker, Water Gun!" Emily shouted. Shellshocker inhaled a bit, then shot a burst of water from his mouth once more, which struck the Caterpie and pushed it back. It then fell backwards, swirls appearing in its eyes. "Yes!" Emily shouted. "I guess that wasn't too bad..." She turned, her eyes going wide, her face turning to fear, as she found herself now staring at four Caterpies, all facing her. "Shellshocker!" she shouted. Shellshocker quickly rushed to her side. "Hit them with Water Gun!" Shellshocker inhaled, then shot water out of his mouth at each one, knocking each one back. They turned and ran off and Emily sighed.

Kiai approached her, clapping his hands. She turned to say something smart, thinking he was doing it sarcastically, until she saw the sincerity on his face. He wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. "I'm very proud of you, Emily." he spoke.

Emily blushed. "Thanks...that was a lot harder then it probably looked, though..." she shuddered. "Bug Pokémon..." she sighed. "Icky and scary..."

"I know it was harder than it looked, that's why I'm so proud of you." He hugged her extra-tight, then stepped back, still smiling. "I'm somewhat surprised at you. I know you don't like Bug Pokémon, but Butterfree's are really pretty, and not icky at all."

"Well, Butterfree's are pretty...but in general, most bug Pokémon are icky...and they are only scary because of that Beedrill incident..." she sighed. "I think I'll be okay as long as no Beedrill appear, though...if they do...I'll scream..." No sooner had she spoken, then a Beedrill flew over her head.

Emily felt the light gust of wind and heard the Beedrill shout "Beedrill!" as it flew by. Emily held in her fear for a moment, but luckily it had only passed by, meaning as quickly as she tensed up, she also relaxed.

"Well, no point in sitting around and waiting for the Metapods to hatch. Let's go." Kiai offered his hand to Emily, who still seemed somewhat shaken just to be standing in the middle of the forest. She smiled, and reached out to take it. Together, hand in hand, they walked down the path of the forest.

Emily smiled as she looked at Kiai. Even though she was shaking from fear, she was at least happy that Kiai was here next to her. Another Beedrill flew by her head, and she once again tensed up, but soon quickly relaxed once more. She pulled out her blue pokeball and looked at it as they continued to walk. "I wonder just how powerful Goldy is...since he has the Pokérus."

Kiai looked at it, he too was rather curious. "If it was anything else, it might be easy to tell...but Psyducks are so...weird. You can never tell how intense their headache is, so it would be hard to find a baseline in terms of strength. But I'm sure we could find a bug somewhere to test out on." As if reading his mind, a Venonat hopped out of a bush on the side of the path and bumbled along into the forest.

"Eep!" Emily spoke, but then pushed herself to fight her fear. She tossed the blue pokeball forward. "Go, Goldy!" The ball hit the ground and opened, releasing the Psyduck within. He sparkled as he appeared, then gave a blank stare at the Venonat.

"Psy..." Goldy began and he brought his hands up and set them on his head, holding his head, "...duck..." he finished. Emily pulled out her pokedex to check on Psyduck's attacks.

"Scratch...ok..." Emily spoke, then looked back up at Goldy. "Goldy, use Scratch attack!" Goldy waddled forward, brought his hand around, and scratched the Venonat in front of him. The Venonat barely felt the attack, however, and turned to look at Goldy. It stepped back, then rushed forward, hitting Goldy with a fierce Tackle. Venonant just seemed to bounce off, however, as Goldy gave almost no response to the attack.

"Interesting..." said Kiai. "Here, lets try something. Oi, Goldy!" Goldy turned to look at him.

"...Psy...?" Goldy responded. Kiai began making strange faces and saying all sorts of conflicting gibberish. "...Pssyyyy...?"

"Quick, Goldy, derive Bernoulli's Formula using Newton's Laws. And while you're at it, write a thesis paper on string theory."

Goldy grabbed its head, crossed its eyes and began wobbling back and forth, muttering "Psy-y-y-y…"

Kiai, grinned, and whispered to Emily, "There, now try!"

"All right...Goldy...use Psychic!" Goldy looked at Emily, giving a confused look. He wobble around a little bit, then, when he faced Venonat, the bug Pokémon charged for another Tackle. It hit Goldy right in the head, and Goldy's eyes began to glow.

"Psyduck!" Goldy shouted. It suddenly seemed to be acting as if it was intelligent. The Venonat soon found itself lifted off the ground and floated into the air. The Venonat then shot off, flying towards a nearby tree, slamming hard into it.

"Good, now use Confusion!" Goldy's eyes continued to glow. Electric-like bolts of purple light shot off towards Venonat, which hit it and made it react in pain. A moment later, the Venonat's eyes swirled as it walked around. "Yes! Now, Goldy, hit it with a Psybeam!"

"Psy...duck..." Goldy spoke and it's eyes stopped glowing and it tilted its head. It was back to its normal self.

"Damn it! Goldy, return!" she shouted, and held out the blue pokeball, allowing the Psyduck to be zapped back inside. "Go! Shellshocker!" Emily shouted and Shellshocker rushed forward. "Hit it with Tackle!" Shellshocker rushed forward, striking the Venonat with a good, hard Tackle attack. The Venonat fell to its back, its eyes swirling. "I don't want it, but you can have it," Emily spoke as she looked to Kiai.

Kiai smiled. "You're a Pokémon trainer, Emily. You don't catch the ones you like, you don't catch a fair amount, you don't even catch the vast majority. You got to catch them all, even if you don't use it. Now finish this off right."

"Aww, all right..." Emily pouted, then shrugged. "But I'll trade it to you later if you get a water Pokémon." She pulled out a pokeball and tossed it forward. It struck the knocked out Venonat and absorbed it into it. The ball landed and shook for a moment, then the light faded. "All right...I caught a...bug Pokémon..." she spoke, not really all that thrilled. "I'll send it to Professor Oak once we get to Pewter City."

"He'll probably be surprised that you caught it." Suddenly he had a thought. "You know something? We should ask Professor Oak about the Pokérus; maybe even send him Goldy for a quick checkup!"

"That's a pretty good idea," Emily spoke, nodding. "He might know something..." She walked over and picked up the pokeball and looked at it. She then placed it on her belt, then looked at Kiai. "You got to admit, that was pretty interesting...using Goldy...I wonder what it will be like when it evolves..."

"As powerful as Psyduck, but without needing a headache to get there." Kiai spoke. They began walking down the path again, when Kiai wondered out loud, "I wonder why there are no spider-like Pokémon..." As he said this, he tickled Emily's lower back, quickly working his fingertips up her spine.

Emily froze. "Spider-like Pokémon?" she felt Kiai's hand moving on her back. She closed her eyes tight. "Are you sure there's none? Cause there's something on my back..." she was trying to keep from screaming, and had no idea it was Kiai playing a joke on her.

"Yes, there is...it's a TICKLEMON!" Kiai swung his other arm around and tickled Emily.

"Eee!" Emily squeeled and giggled. Once he stopped, she smacked him on the back of his head. "You know, you really had me scared for a moment that a bug really was crawling up my-"

Emily's sentence was cut off by a sudden "Beedrill!" from behind. Her body tensed up, and she turned her head, her eyes coming in contact with a fairly large Beedrill. It seemed to float there, not moving, and Emily quickly spun around, so her full body was facing it, and began to step back. "Don't hurt me..." she spoke, the Beedrill flying up in her face now. "Shellshocker..." she spoke, terrified. "W-water Gun!" Shellshocker inhaled and shot a blast of water out at the Beedrill's side. It knocked him away for a single moment, and Emily's body seemed to react by fainting.

The Beedrill was coming back now, though, aiming its pins at Shellshocker. Shellshocker quickly inhaled once more and shot another blast of water at the Beedrill, knocking it back and onto the ground this time. Shellshocker quickly ran to Emily, then looked to Kiai, almost giving him a look of "take care of that thing!"

"Rattata, get in there and Bite it!" Rattata leapt toward the Beedrill, which narrowly missed the speedy Rattata with its spikes. The two fought, but Beedrill was losing badly, being unable to attack a small target so close. The two fell to the ground, and Rattata leapt away. Kiai glared at it. "You're mine now." He threw a pokeball, easily catching the weakened Beedrill. After collecting it, he returned to Emily, gently lifting her up into his arms. "Emily?" he whispered, "are you ok?"

Emily groaned. "Huh? What?" she looked to Kiai. "Oh, thank heavens." She hugged Kiai. "That's the closest I've ever been to a Beedrill since that day...I was so scared...once I told Shellshocker what to do...I couldn't hold it anymore...my body just lost it..." she began to cry. "It was so scary..."

It was six years ago. Emily was much younger, and it occurred in the summer time. Emily smiled as a small Caterpie crawled towards her. At this time, she, her father, and Kiai, were all out near the Viridian Forest due to some business that Emily's father had. Kiai was there because he had a weird feeling before, and didn't want to leave Emily alone. "Look, Kiai!" Emily spoke, tugging on his shirt. "It's a Caterpie! It's a little icky...but it becomes a beautiful Butterfree!"

Kiai smiled, and reached down to the Caterpie. It lazily crawled up his arm and across his back, which tickled him and made him giggle. "Eww! You let it crawl on you!"

Emily looked up and blinked, seeing her father had walked off. She now remembered that her father had said "Take care of her, Kiai, I'll be back in a minute."

Emily shrugged and turned, now looking up at the forest. "Viridian Forest looks kind of spooky. Dad says there's nothing scary in there...just a lot of bug Pokémon..."

"Bug Pokémon aren't scary." spoke Kiai, as the Caterpie crawled down his other arm and away on business of its own. He was trying to sound brave, even though he was a little scared being in the forest alone.

"They are a little...they're really icky, too," Emily nodded. She looked around for a moment, then something got her eye. A lone tree, sitting separate from the others was nearby, and on it were a small cluster of Kakuna. "Look at that!" she shouted and rushed over. She got close, but not too close. "All of those Kakuna! Amazing!"

Kiai, intrigued, followed close behind her. "Wow...that's really cool..." Suddenly, a sliver of white light shown through a crack down the back of one of them. "Look!" whispered Kiai, pointing, "It's evolving!" The two watched as not one, but three Kakuna began to crack open, and three fully-evolved Beedrill emerged.

"Wow!" Emily spoke. "Amazing! Bug Pokémon are really cool when they evolve." The Beedrills spread their wings and flew up a little. However, the voices of children startled them, and they began looking around. It took only a moment for one to spot Kiai and Emily.

"Beedrill bee!" one of the Beedrill shouted, and the other two responded

Emily's eyes went wide. "What's going on, Kiai?"

"...Run. Just run, Emily!" Kiai turned and ran, and Emily followed. Not a moment too soon, as the Beedrills were already hot on their trail. They dashed through the woods, making for the entrance to the path, when suddenly Kiai heard a shriek and a thud. He stopped short and turned around to see the three Beedrill swarming around Emily, who had tripped over an exposed root. Kiai screamed fiercely, grabbed a stick, and ran head-long into the Beedrill. He bashed one on the head, and swatted at the other two until they gave up and flew off. He looked down at Emily, who had been stung a few times, and was drifting in and out of consciousness. He summoned all his strength to hoist her up onto his shoulders, and he carried her out of the forest to the Pokémon Center.

"Kiai..." Emily spoke. She groaned. As Kiai entered the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy rushed to help out. The next few minutes were a jumbled mess, seemingly to be an almost infinitely long time period to Kiai. Finally, after a few minutes, things settled down and Nurse Joy walked over to Kiai and smiled.

"She'll be ok," the nurse spoke. "She was just stung a couple times. Luckily you got her here just in time."

At that moment, Emily's father burst through the door. "Where's my daughter? Is she okay?" he asked Nurse Joy and she nodded. Kiai and the nurse both helped explain what happened, and Emily's father smiled in the end. "I have to thank you, Kiai. You're a wonderful friend to Emily, and just now, you saved her life." He hugged Kiai. "I just know something good will happen between you two." Emily's dad stood up and looked to the Nurse, who now looked sad.

"Given the trauma involved in this..." Nurse Joy began, "...Emily may never be able to be around bug Pokémon again...I fear that something this traumatic usually causes a phobia...and really bad one at that..." she looked down. "I don't know for sure, you'll have to find out yourself, but I fear that she may be afraid of any bug Pokémon after this...and it will be a fear that she will probably never get over..."

Emily's father nodded. "I understand, Nurse Joy, even so, at least she is alive."

Emily continued to hug Kiai, sniffling a little. "It's all because I was stupid...I wanted to see the Kakuna..." she sniffled a little more. "I shouldn't have ran that far from the entrance..."

"It's ok, Emily. It's in the past. I'm not as weak as I once was, and you have Shellshocker as well. We'll never let anything like that happen to you again." Rattata squeaked in annoyance, and Kiai corrected himself. "Of course, you have Rattata too."

Emily sniffled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right..." She sniffled again, then raised her head to look at Kiai. Kiai rose his hand and wiped the tears from her eyes and she smiled a little. Emily slid herself off of Kiai, moving into an actual sitting position, her legs swung around at her side, and her arm resting on her leg. She looked to Kiai. "Can you help me up?" she asked.

Kiai smiled, bent down, and wrapped his arms around her. He stood up straight, hoisting her up, but kept his arms around her for a little while. Emily smiled as she hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment. "I never would have made it this far without you. I'm so glad Professor Oak let you have that fourth Pokémon."

"I'm glad too," spoke Kiai, "I'd be terribly lonely without you, and you'd be completely hopeless without me." He unfortunately failed to avoid another smack to the back of his head, but didn't mind.

Emily then smiled and turned to walk, but her legs wobbled, and she fall back into Kiai's arms. "Maybe...I'll walk with you a little while?" Kiai pulled one of Emily's arms around his neck, and he held onto her waist, supporting her as they made their way down the path, further away from Viridian City, and ever closer to their first step down Victory Road.


	5. Of Bug Catchers and Dreams

**Chapter 5: Of Bug Catchers and Dreams**

Emily and Kiai continued their travels through Viridian Forest. They were nearing the end, having had a few random encounters within. She smiled as she saw the exit to the forest up ahead. "All right! We're almost out of here!"

"Halt!" a voice shouted. Emily quickly turned around. A small, 10 year old kid was walking towards them. He had a bug catching net in his hand and a hat with a rim. "You guys are Pokémon trainers, too, right? Let's battle! I want to see how good my bug Pokémon are."

Kiai turned to Emily. "It's up to you. I know you aren't a big fan of bugs." Kiai himself was eager for a chance to fight, having just caught a Weedle and he was very impressed with Rattata's increasing power.

Emily gave a half chuckle at Kiai's words. She then looked to Shellshocker, who was perched on her shoulders. He hopped down, ready to battle. The trainer smiled. "All right, here we go!" he spoke and tossed a pokeball into the air. It opened, releasing a small Caterpie, Emily was already shaking a little, however, so this didn't affect her much. "Caterpie, tackle!" the small Caterpie rushed forward.

"Shellshocker, Water Gun!" Emily shouted in response. Shellshocker inhaled and shot a burst of water from its mouth at the advancing Caterpie. It was struck, knocking it off course, rolling upon the ground.

"Whoa...that's a strong Squirtle..." the trainer spoke. "Alright," he then spoke, carefully debating who he should send out next, "I guess I underestimated you guys. Lets try..." He grabbed a pokeball and threw it to the ground. "Butterfree! Use your Sleep Powder!" The Butterfree flew into the air, sprinkling shiny blue powder. Shellshocker's eyes drooped, and he swayed to and fro.

Emily bit her lip as she watched Shellshocker tipping back and forth. "Shellshocker, try to blast that powder away with your Water Gun!" Shellshocker inhaled and shot a blast of water from its mouth, flushing away some of the Sleep Powder. He shook his head then and looked forward, ready once again. "Now, use Slash!" Shellshocker rushed forward, and jumped at the Butterfree. It brought its hand forward, striking the Butterfree with a fierce Slash attack, which knocked it down, but not out.

"Darn! Ok Butterfree, use your Paralyzing Powder!" The Butterfree swooped over Shellshocker again, this time spreading sparkling yellow powder everywhere. As soon as it hit Shellshocker, he froze up. "Nicely done Butterfree, now Tackle it!" Butterfree swooped down, hitting Shellshocker dead center. Shellshocker got knocked back, unhurt but still unable to fight back. "Keep it up, Butterfree! It won't last long!" The Butterfree began a series of Tackles from all sides. Alone they were weak, but it was slowly beginning to hurt Shellshocker.

Emily bit her lip. "Shellshocker..." she didn't know what to do. She couldn't send Goldy out to help, because that was illegal, but she also couldn't stand to watch Shellshocker get hit repeatedly. Shellshocker twitched a little, and Emily blinked some. She pulled out her pokédex quickly and read through a small piece of information. "Shellshocker, Water Gun!" she shouted. For a split second, Shellshocker was able to move, inhaling and shooting out a blast of water as Butterfree flew at it for a tackle. The force of the two attacks colliding damaged the Butterfree, further and knocked it off course, striking a nearby tree. It collapsed and Emily jumped up, raising her hand in the air. "Awesome!"

"Gah! Darn it!" said the Trainer. "Alright, saving the best for last. Venomoth, go!" The Trainer threw his last pokéball, and out came a very stout Venomoth. "Ok Venomoth, use your Psybeam!" Venomoth began glowing green, and a hum filled the air. Suddenly, a beam shaped just like the Venomoth shot out of its entire body, and hit Shellshocker full on. It collapsed, and struggled to get back up.

"Shellshocker!" Emily shouted, but Shellshocker's body soon went limp. She rushed forward and picked him up, hugging him. "You did your best, Shellshocker." She looked back up at him. "I've only got this one," she spoke, now pulling out her blue pokeball. "Go, Goldy!" she shouted, tossing the blue pokéball in the air, releasing her blue Psyduck, which shined as it entered the battle.

"A shiny Psyduck?!" the trainer shouted. "That's cool!"

"Goldy, scratch attack!" Goldy waddled forward, swiping its claws against the Venomoth. The attack, however, did basically nothing.

"Alright Venomoth," shouted the Trainer, obviously excited now that he had a chance of winning. "Start things off with your Poison Powder!" Venomoth swooped quickly over Goldy, sprinkling red powder on it. Goldy seemed to be affected, but as usual with Psyducks, it was hard to tell.

Emily bit her lip. She was worried she was going to lose. "Goldy, use Psychic!" Goldy tilted its head a little with a confused look. Emily sighed. "Right...its strong psychic attacks can't be used unless it has a headache..." She pulled out her pokedex to see what it recommended, but it gave her no help. "Goldy, use Water Gun!" she shouted, but Goldy again just tilted its head. "God damn it...doesn't it know anything without a headache?"

"Nice job Venomoth, keep it up with Stun Spore!" Venomoth again showered Goldy with powder, this time with pale spores, which caused Goldy to seize up.

"Aww, shit...this is bad..." Emily spoke, watching the battle. "Goldy..." she paused, then sighed. She didn't know what to do. Psyducks were practically useless in a battle, even when infected by the Pokérus. "There's got to be something I can do..." she looked to Kiai. "What can I do?"

Kiai shook his head and smiled. "Oh no, I'm not helping you out of this one. I've already shown you what you can do, and I can't win all your battles for you."

The Trainer showed no signs of giving up. "Keep it up Venomoth, let's give it the works! Confusion!" Venomoth's eyes glowed yellow and it let out a high-pitched screech.

"Psy-y-y!" Goldy spoke, holding its head harder now. The attack made its headache worse, but still not bad enough. Emily thought for a moment. "Psyduck needs a headache to be able to fight well...and it's not against the rules to help your Pokémon...but..." she picked up a rock and tossed it, hitting Goldy in the head. "Come on, Psyduck! We need that headache of yours!" she shouted out, then realized she probably shouldn't have. It didn't make the headache bad enough yet, though. "Goldy, try Water Gun!" she shouted, hoping for a good reaction this time. Instead, Goldy, in his confused state, turned and blasted Emily with its Water Gun attack.

Emily grumbled. "This is turning out to be a pain..." she spoke. "Goldy! Use your Water Gun on the Venomoth, not me!" Goldy responded in typical Psyduck fashion, but, still being confused, it turned to the trainer now, shooting him with his Water Gun. The trainer grumbled. Emily rolled her eyes then tossed another rock at Psyduck, this one a little bigger then the last. It bounced off Psyduck's head, and the stupid Pokémon collapsed to the ground.

"Psy..." Goldy spoke, blinking. It was almost as if it hadn't even noticed it was now lying on the ground. Emily once again rolled her eyes.

"Oy...Psyducks are a pain..." Goldy's eyes seemed to shift for a moment and Emily blinked. Instead of glowing blue, they seemed to glow an almost red color now. In an instant, Venomoth found itself frozen in place in midair, unable to move. "Err...Goldy...?" Emily asked, seeing its eyes.

"Psyduck!" Goldy shouted, sending the Venomoth to the ground. Goldy stood to its feet, almost as if it was suddenly intelligent. It walked over to Venomoth and rose its claws. As it brought its claws back down, its claws shifted into a fist, which quickly burst into flame and struck Venomoth hard. "Was that a Firepunch?" Emily asked. Psyduck's eyes then shifted back to the blank stare, and it fell back, knocked out, just like the Venomoth.

The Trainers eyes went wide. "Venomoth! No!" He sighed, and called the Venomoth back to its pokeball. "Well...I was hoping for better...but that Firepunch was too much." He walked over to Emily, and held out his hand. "Thank you for the battle, it seems I have a lot to learn."

"Err...me, too, apparently," Emily spoke, shaking his hand. "Goldy, return!" she shouted and zapped Goldy back into his pokeball.

"Maybe I'll see you all again sometime," the trainer spoke, then shook Emily's hand and walked off. Emily then looked to Kiai.

"Kiai, Psyducks can't learn Firepunch...what do you suppose that was?"

Kiai was already in deep thought. "I don't know…there's a move they can learn where they use a random attack, regardless of whether or not they know it…but I'm not sure if Psyduck knows it…it probably doesn't…the only other explanation is this odd Pokérus. Maybe it does more than simply make them strong. We should talk to Professor Oak as soon as we get to Pewter City and see what he has to say."

Emily blinked when she remembered the Pokérus. "Didn't Nurse Joy say that some Pokémon with it are able to learn abilities they couldn't otherwise?" she asked as she looked up at Kiai. "That could be it. We definitely need to talk to Professor Oak once we get to Pewter City, but I'll bet that Pokérus had something to do about it...which would also explain the red eyes."

"I don't like it one bit," spoke Kiai. "Pokémon being able to learn any attack...and several times it's regular strength...if they perfected it, they could breed an army of incredibly strong Pokémon...and what they could do with such an army...I really don't like it."

Emily nodded. "I know what you mean. Something like this can only go from bad to worse. There can be no good that comes out of this...perhaps that's it, though. They want to perfect it so that they can do just that, forge an army of Pokérus Pokémon...if they can do that...with a perfected Pokérus..." she bit her lip. "That would be extremely bad."

"I don't want to think about it right now...I'm sure we aren't the only ones to have considered it. Lets just get to Pewter City and tell Oak, and he'll tell anyone else who needs to know. That's the best we can do right now. And anyway, if Team Rocket is so interested in this, then we're exposed. Lets go." The two turned away from the forest, and headed down the road to Pewter City. Several hours passed by, and the sun began to set. As they hit the top of a hill, they saw Pewter City in the distance. Kiai turned to Emily and spoke, "It's getting late, but do you want to try to make it to Pewter City, or would you rather camp out here?"

Emily looked down at her pokegear and hit a button, showing the clock. "It's pretty late...Pewter City, Oak, and our first badge can wait until tomorrow." She looked up at Kiai. "This is a good spot to camp." She then looked down and blushed. "Although, tonight...can we sleep together? It seems like every time we try to sleep apart, we end up together anyway."

Kiai blushed slightly. "Of course. We can share my sleeping bag if you'd like." He took off his backpack and began collecting firewood, still somewhat red, and avoiding looking into Emily's eyes.

"Thanks," Emily spoke and sat down on Kiai's sleeping bag. She set Shellshocker down next to her, who had been resting in her arms the whole time since the battle. She pulled out her blue pokeball and stared at it. "What other mysteries do you hold?" she seemed to ask the pokeball.

Kiai started a small fire, and they had a bit of dinner before going to bed. Fortunately, or unfortunately as some might say, Emily did not see a bug while changing, and Kiai did not have to fall onto her. The night was cool, and the two spent some time sitting next to each other, simply staring at the fire. Eventually, Kiai yawned and spoke, blushing as he did, "I guess it's time we got to bed." Emily nodded, and crawled into his sleeping bag. Kiai hesitated, but crawled in after her. She immediately snuggled up to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. They spent the night that way, extremely close to each other, very nearly embracing each other.

However, once again, during the night, Emily had had a nightmare that had awoken her and Kiai. This made three times Kiai had heard her screaming in her sleep, each being caused by, what appeared to be, the same nightmare. Emily sat on the ground, her arms were wrapped around her knees. She seemed to be in a sort of depressed state. Kiai had so far said nothing, but after an hour of being awake, he was now worried about her.

Kiai rubbed her back, having thrown a few more boughs on the fire on the assumption that they would be awake for a while. Even though they had the sleeping bag around them and a large fire in front of them, they were both still slightly shivering. Until that point, all that Kiai had tried to do was calm Emily down. Now that she seemed to be breathing regularly again, he asked, "What was your dream about, Emily?"

Emily glanced over at Kiai for a moment, then back at the fire. She sighed, closing her eyes. "Nothing...it was just a nightmare..." she spoke, then opened her eyes and looked down as she mumbled something like "one I've had for three years now."

"I know," sighed Kiai, "but you've never told me what it was about. I stopped asking...I bit my lip every time...but I can't help but be curious...maybe I could help you if you told me." He looked at her, pleading with his eyes for her to talk to him.

Emily sighed. At first she just shook her head. She didn't feel like talking about it. After a moment, however, she did speak. "Is it possible that a dream could be a vision of the future?"

Kiai thought for a moment, his eyes wandering into the starry sky, releasing a soft and deep "hmmmmm..." from the depths of his throat. He seemed to pass a few thoughts though his mind, before settling on one. "You know I'm a skeptic, but...there's a lot we don't know about the world. I don't know about the future...but we've both heard stories where Psychic-type Pokémon have influenced their owners dreams. I'd have to say...it's possible."

Emily closed her eyes. "Well, there's no way a psychic Pokémon is influencing mine...unless it has been following me for three years..." she sighed, opening her eyes and looking at the fire. She grabbed a small stick off the ground and tossed it into the fire. "I'm just afraid..." she leaned against Kiai, laying her head on his shoulder.

Kiai wrapped his arms around her as best he could, sitting next to her. He rested his head on hers, and snuggled up to the fire like that, in the middle of a cold and empty grassland on a cold and empty night, the world suddenly seemed like a very large place indeed. He too was scared, but with Emily in his arms, it seemed as though nothing could scare him too much. He was always stronger when she was around. "It's ok Emily...we're family..." He smiled at Rattata and Shellshocker, "Right, guys?" Rattata gave a squeak, and Shellshocker stood up sharp and saluted. Kiai curled his finger under Emily's chin and tilted her head up so he could look her in the eye. "We'll be together no matter what happens..." he said, smiling, "Got it?"

"Yeah..." Emily spoke, though her voice had no confidence in it, her eyes didn't even look at Kiai, even when he was talking to her.

Kiai didn't know what came over him...he was compelled to do it. He had wanted to do it for a long time, but every time, he hesitated, and the moment was lost. He found reasons why he didn't to make himself feel better, and he always covered it up when Emily noticed a change in his persona. But this time, with Emily so far down, and himself so unsure, he couldn't stop himself. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers, kissing her.

Emily's eyes went wide when he kissed her. The feeling of Kiai's lips upon hers was amazing. She felt like she could melt at the feeling. However, after a moment, she pushed Kiai off of her, turning her head and blushing. She desired to feel it again, but she fought to hide it. "Please don't do that again..." she spoke.

Kiai swallowed hard, and hung his head. "S-sorry...I'm sorry..." He took his arm off her shoulders and sat staring the fire. He had a feeling he had just screwed something up badly.

Emily stood to her feet. "It's ok..." she spoke. "I just...need to think..." she looked forward at Pewter City that lied ahead. She took a couple steps forward, then broke into a run, heading towards Pewter. Shellshocker saw, then looked at Kiai.

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke, tugging on Kiai's shirt.

Kiai was nearly lost in a dream until Shellshocker shook him out of it. He looked up, and saw Emily running. He stood up in a flash, and ran after her. He knew he could catch up to her if he wanted to, being a year older and a lot faster, but he held back, running through his mind what he could possibly say to her.

Emily continued to run, looking back for a moment. "Why are you following me?" she asked.

Kiai said the first thing, the only thing, that came to mind. The same truth he could always feel when he was near Emily. "I care about you."

Emily stopped, as if in shock. She turned herself to look at him. "You what?" she asked.

Kiai stopped as well, but kept some distance between them. In the dark night, he couldn't see her face or eyes, so he had no way of telling if she was upset or not. Somehow, he found that this made it easier to speak, not having to feel her eyes searching him. "I care about you, Emily. Ever since I saw you, even though I was too young to know...from the very moment we met, I cared about you. Maybe I was greedy and wanted someone in my life...maybe I just wanted to protect you...I don't know...I just know...I feel good when I'm near you. I fall asleep better when I hear you breathe. I know your emotions by your footsteps. Emily...you...you're everything to me."

Emily looked down. She didn't speak at first, trying to search her own emotions. She walked up to Kiai, her body was tense. When she stopped, she was only a few inches from Kiai. She looked upset. Kiai was worried this was the end, when suddenly Emily grabbed his chin and pulled his head close. She shut her eyes and touched her lips against his.

Tears poured from Kiai's eyes as he kissed her. He had never felt so far apart as he did in that moment, when it seemed as though he had lost his only friend. But now, as he felt her close to him, he couldn't hold them back. He pulled her body close to hers, and buried his face into her shoulder, sobbing. She could feel his warm tears run down her neck.

Emily wrapped her arms around Kiai. "I'm sorry," she spoke. "I really do want you to stay with me...and you can kiss me if you want to." She also buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't want to lose you...not like in my nightmare..." This is the first thing she had ever said about it since she had started having them.

Emily could feel Kiai's arms tighten around her body, and his sobs stopped. He whispered fiercely into her ear. "I will never leave you Emily. Nothing can keep us apart." He buried his face into her shoulder again. "Nothing."

Emily gently pulled Kiai from the hug around her. She then brought her lips against his as she closed her eyes. She pulled apart from the kiss and smiled. "I love you, Kiai," she spoke.

Kiai stared into her eyes. He could see the stars, within them and without them. The words felt so right, even though until that point he had never even considered them. "I love you too, Emily." he spoke.

Emily looked up, blinking as she noticed that night was coming to an end as the sun had begun to rise. The edge of the sky was lined with an orange color as the sun began to rise.


	6. The Dual Duels of the Twins

A/N: WAH! Why didn't anyone ever tell me in reviews that chapter 5 was posted twice? Well, I've fixed that error now. I really apologize to anyone who has been wondering what occured in this chapter! Please forgive me! The new chapter 6 is up, so now you can all see it!

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Dual Duel of the Twins**

The world was bathed in rich, gold light as the sun peeked over the horizon. Kiai and Emily cast long shadows to Pewter City, as if pointing them in the right direction. The sun provided the dawn of a new day, and in the hearts of Kiai and Emily, a new life. A weight had been lifted from their shoulders, and they walked back to their campsite, hand in hand.

Back at the camp, Shellshocker and Rattata were waiting for them. They both looked worried, but at the site of Kiai and Emily smiling as they walked back, their faces lit up. "Squirtle squirt!" Shellshocker spoke, happily.

"Rattata!" Rattata responded happily. The two ran to their owners and smiled. Rattata quickly scampered up Kiai's legs and onto his shoulder, while Shellshocker just stood at Emily's feet. Emily bent down and scooped him up, setting him on her shoulders.

Kiai reached up to his shoulder and stroked Rattata with his finger. Already his friend had grown much larger, past the size of a normal Rattata. It wouldn't take long before he was unable to stay on Kiai's shoulder. The two grabbed their sleeping bags and put out the campfire, preparing themselves for what the new day would bring.

Emily reached into her backpack and opened it, pulling out the same outfit she had worn the day before. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off, allowing herself to go topless. She had her back to Kiai at this particular moment. She stretched a bit, her eyes looking around before she dropped her pants, leaving her in just her underpants.

Kiai couldn't take his eyes away...he blushed profusely as he watched. Emily was simply too beautiful for words. By the time Emily had finished dressing, she looked back at Kiai to see him sitting down in front of her, just staring at her, making no attempt whatsoever to hide it.

Emily giggled. "Did you enjoy the show?" she asked. She giggled again. "It's been a while since I last changed in front of you."

"Yeah, you were...less...umm..." He cupped his hands on his chest in an effort to describe what he was trying to say. "There was less of you..."

Emily giggled again. "I wasn't a 32B when you last saw me." She thought for a moment. "In fact, I was like...8...so I didn't have anything then..."

Kiai nodded profusely. "Yes, there was less of you." He was obviously somewhat stunned after having seen what he just saw.

Emily giggled again. "Well, I'm only 13, so I'll probably still be growing for a few more years." She walked right up to him. "And chances are, our journey here in Kanto will take at least a good half a year...so you'll be seeing a lot of me." She kissed him. "Although, I'm going to lay down a rule right now. I'll let you see and touch them on occasion, but don't beg for it, and don't touch them unless I say...otherwise..." she made a fist and held it up. "Understand?"

Kiai's eyes went wide. "Yes Ma'am!" He swallowed hard; this was a side of Emily he hadn't seen before. For reasons beyond him, he wanted to see it more often.

Emily giggled once more, then grabbed the top back of her halter. She untied the top of her halter, which allowed her breasts out. "Now, you can touch them for a moment, but we have to get going soon." She took Kiai's hands and set them directly on her breasts.

Kiai groped and caressed her soft breasts. The first time he felt them, it was an accident, and it was over before he even knew what had happened. But, this time, being able to really feel them, it was amazing. They were soft and warm, he could feel her nipples hard in the cool morning air. There were so many things he would like to do to them...to her...

Emily smiled a bit. After a moment, however, she took his hands off her breasts and smiled. "Now, then, we should go." She grabbed her halter and pulled it up, tying it in the back once more, then smiled. She pulled on the top a little to make sure it was on properly, then knelt down and grabbed Shellshocker. She set him on her shoulder, then took Kiai's hand and began to walk towards Pallet Town.

"No, Charmander!" a voice shouted from nearby. Emily and Kiai quickly looked at each other, then forward, rushing ahead. They stopped, though, their eyes coming upon a group of four trainers in front of them. They seemed to be engaged in a battle that had just ended.

The first trainer was easily recognized with her blonde hair. It was Michelle, the third trainer from Pallet Town. She pouted. "Return!" she held out her pokéball and it zapped back inside. Next to her was a trainer, dressed similar to the bug trainer they had met in Viridian Forest. In front of them were two, small girls, no older then 9 each. In front of them were two Clefairies.

"Aww, we're sorry. Your Pokémon are very cute," the girls seemed to speak in unison. They were both dressed in yellow dresses, and were it not for their different styled hair, they would both look exactly the same. They turned to each other and smiled. "Clefairy is both cute and strong," the girls spoke in unison once more. One of them then saw Kiai and Emily walking towards them.

"Hey, Jan, here come two more." Jan turned around and also saw Kiai and Emily.

"Your right, Jill, shall we do it?"

"Of course," Jan spoke in response.

"Return!" they shouted in unison, moving in perfect unison, holding their pokéballs out and zapping the Clefairies back inside their pokéballs. Kiai and Emily then arrived at the scene.

"Hello, my name is Jan," Jan spoke.

"My name is Jill," Jill spoke.

"And we're trainers. We always battle together," they spoke in unison. "Are you two interested in a dual duel?"

Emily blinked. "Dual duel?"

Jan nodded. "It's where you use two Pokémon to fight at the same time," Jan spoke.

"We always duel using a dual duel, and I'm sure that," Jill spoke.

"Since you are two trainers," Jan continued.

"Then surely you would enjoy a dual duel," Jill finished.

"So, shall we?" they asked in unison, holding their pokéballs out once more.

Kiai looked over to Emily, and spoke "I'm up for it if you are." Emily smiled and nodded.

"Very well, we will use" began Jan.

"Two Pokémon each." finished Jill.

Jill and Jan both took their pokéballs and threw them down onto the ground and saying, in unison, "Jigglypuff, I choose you!" Two identical Jigglypuffs appeared in a flash.

Jarod drew his pokéball, and threw it into the battle. "Right, I'll start things off with Spearow!" He threw his pokéball in, and Spearow appeared, ready for battle.

"Shellshocker, I choose, you!" Emily shouted, and Shellshocker rushed in.

"This is how it works," Jan began.

"You each command your own Pokémon," Jill spoke.

"Your Pokémon can attack either of our Pokémon," Jan spoke.

"And we can attack either of your Pokémon," Jill spoke.

"Whoever has all their Pokémon knocked out loses," they spoke in unison.

"When one is out, you can bring out your second," Jan spoke.

"If both of your Pokémon are out, then only one trainer will be left to fight," Jill spoke.

"Does all of this make sense?" they asked in unison.

Kiai nodded. "It's just like in an RPG. No problem."

"Very well" Jan spoke.

Jan and Jill both pointed toward Shellshocker and Rattata and said in unison, "Jigglypuff, Sing!" The two Jigglypuffs sang a song in perfect harmony, and Shellshocker and Rattata both began to get drowsy.

"Shellshocker, shake it off and use Water Gun!" Emily shouted. Shellshocker shook its head a bit, then inhaled. It then shot a blast of water from its mouth, striking one of the Jigglypuff.

"Jiggly!" the Jigglypuff shouted as it was knocked back some, but not out. This move distracted the second Jigglypuff.

"Rattata! Now, Quick Attack that Jigglypuff!" Rattata dashed toward the Jigglypuff that Shellshocker had hit, but being tired, did not hit it very hard. Jill, who had called out that Jigglypuff, gasped slightly. Jan clenched her teeth.

The two broke their unison for only that brief moment, but returned when they shouted, in unison, "Jigglypuff, Doubleslap!" The two Jigglypuff each chose their targets, and began slapping Shellshocker and Rattata. This was obviously their signature move, and they dealt significant damage. Shellshocker, who was attacked by the Jigglypuff that was already weakened, took less of a beating than Rattata did.

Emily bit her lip. "Shellshocker, Water Pulse!" Shellshocker inhaled once more. This time, when he blew out the water, ultrasonic waves followed with it. The attack struck one of the Jigglypuff and knocked it back. As it stood up, it looked around, looking confused.

"Jigglypuff, Doubleslap!" Jan and Jill shouted again. With a quick move, the confused Jigglypuff seemed to rush over and began slapping the other Jigglypuff.

"Jigglypuff, that's not right," Jill spoke.

"Ha! It worked!" Emily shouted.

Kiai grinned, he was starting to figure things out. "Rattata, quick, before it's done slapping, Tail Whip the other one!" Rattata wagged its tail at the Jigglypuff being slapped, and it began taking noticeably more damage. "Finish it off with a Quick Attack, Rattata!" Rattata, having shaken off the drowsiness, followed the Tail Wag up with a full-powered Quick Attack, knocking the Jigglypuff out cold.

"No! Jigglypuff!" shouted Jill. Jan and Jill looked at each other, then called both Jigglypuffs back.

"Why did you do that?" spoke Kiai, "That other Jigglypuff was still healthy."

Jan and Jill both blushed slightly and seemed to be at a loss for words, but regardless, they took on a look of determination and threw their second pokéballs into the arena, calling out in unison, "Go, Clefairy!" Two Clefairy popped out of their pokéballs. Jan and Jill both grinned, saying in unison, "That was a nice warm-up, but our team isn't just copy and paste. Clefairy!"

"Follow Me!" Jill spoke.

"Growl!" Jan spoke at the same moment. One Clefairy waved at Shellshocker and Rattata, and both turned their attention to it. At the same time, the other Clefairy growled fiercely, weakening their attack strength.

"Shellshocker, use Water Gun on the growling one!" Emily shouted. Shellshocker turned, but his eyes kept drifting back to the first Clefairy. After a moment, he inhaled, then shot a blast of water at the first Clefairy, hitting it directly. "That wasn't right, Shellshocker," Emily spoke.

Jill laughed. "You see? Follow Me causes my Clefairy to distract your Pokémon. It doesn't matter what you order, they'll attack it."

"Now, Clefairy!" Jan shouted. "Use Metronome!"

"Clefairy!" the Clefairy spoke, wiggled its fingers, then rushed forward. It quickly grabbed Rattata and jumped into the air. "Clefairy!" it shouted, then pushed Rattata downward in a Seismic Toss move.

Rattata was hurt, but not badly enough. Unless Clefairy got lucky with another Metronome. Kiai was certain that no attack, not even Doubleslap, could finish him off in the next turn. He clenched his teeth, wondering if he should bank on a lucky Metronome, lucky in his favor. Suddenly he remembered. He grinned, and spoke "Rattata, give it another Tail Whip!" Rattata wagged its tail at Jill's Clefairy as Kiai looked Jill in the eye. She gasped, as she realized her mistake. Shellshocker was still strong enough to last a round or two, and if Emily used a strong enough attack, it would deal significant damage to that Clefairy, and only that Clefairy. As long as it was forcing Shellshocker to attack it, those attacks would be made at the best of their power.

Jan growled. "Fine, Clefairy, put that Rattata out of its misery. Doubleslap!" Clefairy began slapping Rattata, finally knocking it out.

"Nicely done, Rattata. Return! Now, go Spearow!" Kiai threw his second and final Pokémon in.

"Shellshocker, give it a Water Pulse!" Emily shouted. Shellshocker inhaled, then blasted out another blast of water with ultrasonic waves. It struck Clefairy, but didn't confuse it. The Clefairy was still going, however, still using its Follow Me to keep all of their Pokémon distracted towards it.

"Clefairy, Metronome!" Jan shouted. Once again, her Clefairy wiggled its fingers. This time, it took a step forward, then fell backwards, falling asleep. "Clefairy?" Jan asked, blinking.

Emily laughed. "It used Rest!" she spoke.

Jan looked to Jill, and Jill looked to Jan. "Could we lose this time?" Jan asked.

"We might," Jill spoke.

"We've never lost!" they spoke in unison.

"Alright Spearow, time to give them a taste of their own medicine. Fury Attack!" Spearow trilled, and began flying past Jill's Clefairy in rapid succession, each time striking it with its beak or claws. Each attack, although weak, was amplified due to Clefairy's weakened defense, unlike Shellshocker's last attack, which was weak due to the other Clefairy's Growl.

Jill squealed in terror, shouting "Clefairy! Stop using Follow Me!" The Clefairy stopped taunting, and Jill became utterly livid, but she wasn't sure what she could do. She paused in thought, and in the end, decided to bank on one more Metronome. "Clefairy...Metronome!" Her Clefairy waggled its finger back and forth, and suddenly a distant rumble was heard. In an instant, a small bolt of lighting flew down from the sky, striking Shellshocker dead-on, knocking it out cold and leaving a small scorch mark on the ground. Jill stood, as surprised as any. "Th-Thunder! I-I've never actually seen it before!" she spoke.

"Shellshocker!" Emily shouted and rushed to his side. "You did good," she spoke, picking him up. "All right, I don't know how much good he'll do," she spoke as she pulled out her blue pokéball. "Go, Goldy!" she shouted, tossing the pokéball forward. Goldy appeared from the ball and stretched a little.

"Psy..." he spoke, then put his hands on his head, "...duck..." he finished, tilting his head.

"Goldy, use scratch!" Goldy waddled forward and hit the sleeping Clefairy with his claws, but it barely even made the Clefairy flinch. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Eventually I'll figure out these Psyducks..."

Kiai smiled at Emily, "This is where teamwork comes in." He stood in a dramatic, purposeful stance, pointed at Spearow, and shouted, "Spearow!" he shouted, then paused for a moment. "Squawk in Goldy's ear."

The Spearow gave a caw, then flew to Psyduck and began to squawk at it. If one knew how to understand Pokémon language, one would probably hear "You idiot, fight hard!" or something similar. Psyduck turned and looked at Spearow, tilting its head. Spearow again squawked loudly. The sound was giving it a headache, but not very fast.

Jill laughed. "This is too funny. Clefairy, Metronome!" Clefairy wiggled her fingers, then rushed forward. It jumped into the air and brought her hand down in a karate chop move to strike Goldy on the head.

"Psy..." Goldy began, then began to totter back and forth as it held its head harder.

"Yes! That's it!" Emily shouted. "A little more!" Spearow squeaked again, and Goldy fell backwards.

"...duck..." Goldy finally finished. At that moment, its eyes went blue and the remaining Clefairy found itself lifted off the ground. Goldy stood to his feet, then tossed the Clefairy up, letting it fly up some, then thrusting the Clefairy down into the ground using its Psychic attack.

"Aww!" Jill spoke. "Return!" she zapped her Clefairy back.

"Return!" Jan spoke, zapping her Clefairy back as well.

"Again with the returning Pokémon when they can still fight," Emily spoke.

Jill and Jan blushed. "We only fight together," Jan began.

"So if one goes down, the other does, too," Jill continued.

"And so we always return our Pokémon together," they spoke in unison.

"That was awesome!" Jan spoke.

"Really awesome!" Jill spoke.

"That's the first time we've lost," Jan spoke.

"I know, and it was really cool," Jill spoke.

"Thanks for the battle!" they spoke in unison.

"Your welcome, I guess," Emily spoke, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kiai nodded in agreement. "Dual duels are fun, they really change how a duel operates. I'd like to try more. Maybe we'll meet again some day!" With that, Kiai and Emily said their goodbyes, and headed into Pewter City. The arch leading into the city was made of signature grey stone. It was tall, foreboding, and strong. Kiai and Emily both felt a slight chill as they stepped into the city, leaving the comfort of the wilderness behind them. From this point on, they knew things were going to get serious. If they could not pass this hurdle, they would never make it.


	7. Gym Leader Slate

**Chapter 7: Gym Leader Slate**

The day had finally come, Kiai and Emily had finally arrived in Pewter City. Emily looked around, her eyes wide. It was amazing how large it was. From where they stood they could see the gym, which seemed to be made out of stones. "We're here," Emily spoke, "Pewter City, and our first badge."

Kiai sighed. While he was excited, he didn't have any Pokémon with a particular advantage against rock-types, which Pewter City was, of course, famous for. It really hit home how unprepared he was when Emily said that they would be winning their first badge. 'It could just be Emily who wins it,' Kiai thought.

Emily looked to Kiai and smiled. "Well, I guess this is it, it's time to face the Gym Leader and win our first badge." She turned back to look at the gym in the distance, then turned to see the Pokémon Center nearby. "Best we heal up our Pokémon before we go for the badge."

"That we should," Kiai responded. The two made their way into the Pokémon Center, where they were greeted by Nurse Joy. After a quick checkup, Nurse Joy decided that Rattata and Shellshocker needed a few hours of treatment, so Kiai and Emily headed outside for a bit of breakfast. They both had pancakes, eggs, and home fries cooked on a heated stone table, a Pewter City specialty.

After their breakfast, they decided to call up Professor Oak. "Hello?" Professor Oak asked as he picked up the phone.

"Professor Oak!" Emily spoke happily. "It's great to see you again."

"Emily?" Oak asked. He switched on the video and looked at the small screen. "Hey! I see you and Kiai are both still together. How are you two doing?"

"We're doing great," Emily spoke. "However, we have some important questions to ask you."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Ever heard of the Pokérus?"

"The Pokémon Virus?" Oak asked. "Yes, I have, why?"

"What can you tell us about it?" Kiai asked.

"Why the sudden interest?" Oak asked.

Emily pulled out her blue pokéball. "You see, we find this Psyduck…" she spoke. "It was blue and shiny, and when we were at Viridian, they said that it was the Pokérus."

"I see, that is serious," Oak spoke, then put his hand to his chin. "Well, not much is known about the Pokérus. We do know it is a virus that makes Pokémon stronger. Sometimes it even causes them to change color, and their skin becomes shiny. Ash Ketchum actually encountered a Gyarados that had been infected by it in Johto."

"I thought that was because of the machine Team Rocket was using to force evolutions," Kiai spoke.

"That's what we thought, too," Oak responded, "but it turns out that that particular Magikarp which evolved into that Gyarados was infected with the Pokérus just before it evolved."

"Interesting," Emily spoke. "So, is there any kind of cure to it?"

"No, none so far. What we do know, is that it is a virus caused by injecting microscopic life forms into a Pokémon. What kind of life forms they are, we don't know, but it must be injected with it, or a gas must be used. If the Pokémon eat it, like say on food, they won't get infected by it."

"I see," Emily spoke and looked at her pokéball. "So, there's nothing we can do?"

"No, I'm afraid there is nothing right now, but don't worry, we'll find a cure to it someday."

Emily looked back up at the screen. "What about removing the microscopic things?"

"Tried…" Oak spoke, looking down. "They collect themselves into the bloodstream, and literally join with the Pokémon. Removal…is impossible…at least by physical means…"

"I see…" Emily sighed and looked back down at her pokéball. "Well, thanks anyway."

"I'll call your mom's and let them know how you're doing, but you should call them yourselves soon," Oak spoke.

"Yeah…we will…thanks…" Emily turned, closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Professor," Kiai spoke. "We'll talk to you later." Oak nodded and hung up the phone. Kiai hugged Emily and looked at her. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Don't worry, we'll find a cure, I promise."

"I hope so," Emily spoke, then looked down again, putting her head against Kiai's chest.

"Come on, let's go find something to get our minds off this for now." Kiai and Emily stood to their feet, and left the Pokémon Center. They took to wandering around Pewter City trying to find something to occupy their time, and take their minds off what they had heard. Off in the distance, Kiai spotted what looked like a museum. He pointed it out to Emily, and they both decided to investigate.

It didn't take long for them to reach the museum. As they entered, a big sign read "Today only: Pewter City Space Special". "Space Special?" Emily asked.

The man at the counter smiled. "Welcome to the Pewter City Museum. Today we are doing a special on outer space. Everything set up today has to do with things we've found in outer space, including a replica of one of the space ships. It's only fifty credits per person to get in if you'd like a ticket."

Kiai didn't even wait for Emily to answer. He pulled out his wallet and swiped his card for two tickets. The man at the counter bowed them in, and they walked into the main part of the museum. Constellations were shone on the high ceiling, there were displays and glass-encased rocks lining the walls. Kiai, who had always had a fascination with astronomy, was like a kid in a candy store, running back and forth from exhibit to exhibit, reading everything.

Emily giggled as she watched. She looked around a little, enjoying some of the sights. She stopped for a moment and walked over to one particular case. "Moon Stone. It is said to be a stone that fell from the moon," she spoke, reading the description. In the case were a few small stones that seemed to shine. "These stones are believed to allow evolution in some Pokémon, such as Clefairy." She put her hand to her chin. "Hmm...a stone that can make Pokémon evolve...I've heard of something like that before...Leaf Stones and Fire Stones...but never Moon Stones..." she turned and saw Kiai still rushing about. "He sure is enjoying himself." She looked up at the ceiling. "Pretty!"

After about two hours, they moved on to the rest of the museum, where they learned all sorts of history about Pokémon. Two fossils in particular caught their attention; one labeled Kabuto, the other labeled Omanyte. A small block of text next to them read: "Kabuto and Omanyte: Long since extinct Pokémon. These two fossils were found along the Pewter City shoreline. They are unique as they still contain genetic material of each Pokémon, leading many scientists to believe that they can both be resurrected."

Kiai stood up impressed. "That's so cool...they could actually bring dead Pokémon back...I wonder what they evolve into..."

"Yeah..." Emily nodded. "Although...I seem to remember something about that a while ago...they tried to bring back a Mew or something, and it went haywire..." she then looked at Kiai. "Also, don't forget what happened in Hoenn last year...I heard that Ash was there, and someone tried to resurrect a Groudon..." she looked back at the fossils. "I heard that the Groudon they awoke went on a rampage, and was some kind of weird plasma creature...it wasn't really Groudon..." she looked down. "Maybe resurrecting extinct Pokémon is a bad idea...we don't truly know what could happen..."

"Still though...it would be cool. Imagine going into a tournament with an extinct Pokémon..." Kiai spoke, still dreaming about the possibilities. They spent a few more hours exploring the museum before returning to the Pokémon Center to collect their Pokémon. Emily was quite eager to get her first badge, most likely because she would have the easier time doing it. Kiai tried to be eager, but he was too busy going through all the possibilities in his head. Each time, he found himself wondering if he could win.

It wasn't long before they stood at the large, stone doors leading into the Pewter City Gym. They pushed them open, revealing a large, wide area with boulders and stones scattered about the floor. If it wasn't for the large floodlights on the ceiling, they wouldn't be able to tell if they were in a building or a mining quarry.

The two gazed around for a few seconds, then a light came on at the far end, illuminating a man, tall and strong, with a fierce glint in his thin eyes. He wore a grey t-shirt and grey pants, and sported thick, rippling muscles on all his exposed skin. This was Slate, the current leader of the Gym. He spoke in a booming voice which reverberated off the walls, "Welcome...to Pewter City Gym."

"Amazing!" Emily shouted. "This place is amazing!" She then looked to Slate. "I am Emily Yamaki. I have come to obtain the Boulder Badge."

Slate laughed. "Really? A girl like you has come to obtain a Boulder Badge? How interesting. If you want your Boulder Badge, then, you will have to face me."

"Very well, then, I'm ready." Emily looked at Shellshocker, who nodded in response. "I'm ready," she spoke.

"Very well, then, let the battle begin!" Slate reached down and grabbed a pokéball from his belt. He tossed it into the air, and it opened, releasing a small, circular, rock-type Pokémon. It had two arms and floated in the air.

"Geodude!" the Pokémon spoke.

"Go, Shellshocker!" Emily shouted and Shellshocker rushed into battle. "All right, Shellshocker, start us off with Water Gun!" Shellshocker inhaled, releasing a blast of water from its mouth at the Geodude.

Slate grinned, "That's not a problem for Geodude." While this had some truth to it, it was also not entirely true. Geodude didn't seem to have any ill effects, but its training with Slate meant that it wouldn't show it even if it was hurt. "Go! Geodude! Use Earthquake!" Geodude flew into the air and came down hard, bashing the ground with its mighty fists. The whole Gym shook, and rocks tumbled every which way. Shellshocker stumbled and fell, and a number of rocks hit it. However, it picked itself up and was prepared to keep fighting.

Emily growled a little. "He's tougher then the Graveler I fought. Shellshocker, Water Pulse!" she shouted. Shellshocker inhaled once more, this time releasing ultrasonic waves with its burst of water.

Geodude got hit hard again, and this time shook its whole body. It looked as if it could still fight, but the confusion water attack had had an obvious effect. It seemed to be wandering and looking around, unsure of what to do. Slate was not worried however, as he always had a fail safe for going up against water-types, and since Geodude was nearly passed out anyways, it was time to use it.

"Geodude..." spoke Slate, with a bit of grimness in his voice, "Explosion." Geodude, tucked its arms in and began to glow gold, eventually erupting in an enormous explosion, blowing Shellshocker back against a boulder. It hit hard and fell, but slowly got to its feet. Emily knew it wouldn't last another attack. Slate, no longer grinning confidently, reached into his belt and drew his next Pokémon. "Onix, I choose you!" He threw his pokéball down, and an enormous Onix appeared. "By the way, young lady," spoke Slate, "this will be a two-Pokémon-each match."

"Two Pokémon each match, huh? All right," Emily bit her lip. "You can do it, Shellshocker, use Water Pulse!" Shellshocker once again inhaled, shooting a blast of water, mixed with ultrasonic waves at Onix.

Onix barely flinched at the water attack, and Slate called out, "Onix, finish it with a Tackle." Onix roared as it dived into Shellshocker, hitting it hard and knocking it out.

"Shellshocker!" Emily shouted and rushed to the small turtle. She picked it up and smiled. "You did good, Shellshocker, you deserve a break." She then pulled out her blue pokéball. "Please actually do something this time," she spoke to the pokéball, then tossed it. "Go, Goldy!" she shouted. Goldy appeared from the pokéball and stretched once more.

"Psy..." Goldy placed his hands on his head, "...duck..." he finished.

"Heh...cute duck, little girl." spoke Slate. "Onix, no messing around this time. Start things off with Harden." Onix coiled into itself, the rocks of its body grinding together. It glowed orange, then yellow, and into a brilliant white, then stopped glowing, having hugely increased it's already formidable defense.

"Goldy, Water Gun!" Emily shouted.

"Psy...duck...?" Goldy tilted its head, a confused look on its face.

Emily grumbled. "Not again..."

"Alright Onix, lets teach this girl how we do things in Pewter City. Body Slam!" Onix reared back and stood up to its full height, then came crashing down. It didn't land directly on Goldy, but landed so close that Goldy went flying in a shower of rocks and stones, and skidded across the floor.

Emily sighed. "I'm in trouble...Goldy! Use Water Gun!" she shouted.

"Psy..." Goldy began, but then something strange happened. Its body began to glow brightly. Suddenly, its entire body seemed to reshape itself, changing in form. When the glow vanished, Psyduck was no more, as it had evolved into a Golduck. It was blue in color, with an oddly orange bill, instead of yellow.

"Goldy?" Emily asked, and Goldy quickly jumped to its feet.

"Golduck!" Goldy shouted.

"This should be interesting...use Water Gun!" Goldy's eyes seemed to narrow at the Onix in front of him. It then inhaled and blew out a large blast of water, larger then Shellshocker had produced so far.

"Dammit!" shouted Slate, "Of all the rotten luck. Alright Onix, no giving up! Use your Sandstorm!" Onix roared and blasted a rock with a swipe of its tail, tossing up a huge, blinding cloud of dust.

Emily growled. Goldy looked around, trying to spot Onix through the sandstorm. Emily quickly pulled out her pokedex and loaded Golduck's data. "Goldy, Foresight!" she shouted. Goldy put its hands to its forehead and its eyes began to glow. It looked around a little, appearing as if it was looking through infrared lenses.

"Golduck!" Goldy spoke when he found Onix.

"Now, Hyper Beam!" Emily shouted.

"Golduck!" Goldy shouted, and the gem on its forehead began to glow. After a moment, it fired a large beam straight forward, aimed directly at Onix.

"Onix! Look out!" shouted Slate. Onix made an attempt at dodging, but was still hit by the beam. "Dammit...dammit!" mumbled Slate, now realizing the power of his opponent. "Onix!" he shouted, "No more playing around! Sand Tomb!" Onix smashed another boulder with his tail, spraying Golduck with a wave of sand and small pebbles, trapping it from the waist down. "Now Onix...Double Edge!" The large Pokémon slithered quickly toward the immobile Golduck and threw all its weight against it. When it hit, a huge cloud of dust erupted from the pile of sand, engulfing the two combatants. When it finally settled, Onix was out cold, and Golduck was standing, barely, leaning up against Onix's stone body. Emily had won.

Emily blinked. "I...won?" she asked, staring. Goldy turned and gave a salute to Emily, and she blinked once more. "That was awesome! Golduck is awesome!"

Slate chuckled. "Well, you did good, I'll give you that." He held his pokéball up and returned Onix. "For winning, I give to you the Boulder Badge." He reached into his pocket and handed Emily a small gray bade that looked similar to a rock. "Take it with pride."

Emily took it and smiled. "Awesome!" she shouted, holding the Boulder Badge above her head. "I got my first badge!"

Slate smiled down at her. He was a lot taller now that he had walked across the gym to hand Emily her badge. "Congratulations, little girl. That was certainly a surprise finish. And how about you, young man?" he spoke, turning to Kiai. "Care to test your luck?"

Kiai bit his lip, really unsure how to answer. He looked at Rattata, still on his shoulder. There was no mistaking it; Rattata had grown since they first met. He had become more powerful too. Rattata looked back at Kiai with no eagerness or fear in its eyes. There was only a simple truth; it was ready. Kiai turned to Slate, and spoke, "Yes, I will try."

"Excellent!" said Slate, and returned to his podium on the other side of the gym. "Then lets get this party started! Dugtrio, I choose you!" He threw his pokéball into the arena, but the flash of light from the pokéball went straight underground instead of just appearing. Dugtrio was a very shy Pokémon, and always had half of its body underground. In a moment, though, the three heads of Dugtrio popped up.

Kiai breathed a silent sigh of relief, as it seemed now that he may have a chance. He reached to his belt and grabbed his first contender. "Spearow," he called out with a grin, "I choose you!"

"Let's start this off right, shall we?" Slate asked, smirking. "Dugtrio! Dig!" Dugtrio quickly ducked its heads down into the ground, vanishing from view. "Where is it? What will it do?" Slate laughed.

The chuckle suprised Kiai, as surely a Gym trainer would know that a flying type has a severe advantage over a purely ground type. Nonetheless, Kiai had a plan already for this. "Spearow, Fly up! Stay away from the ground!" Spearow trilled and flew into the air, circling around the ceiling.

"Very clever, boy," Slate spoke. "All right, Dugtrio, come on out!" The ground shook for a moment and Dugtrio popped up from under the ground, right next to a large rock. He grinned. "All right, Dugtrio, get ready to use your big attack."

"Big attack?" thought Kiai, unsure of what Slate could have in mind. Should he tell Spearow to attack? He knew he could cause significant damage, but he didn't know if it would be worth it if Dugtrio knocked out Spearow in one attack. Should he keep Spearow where it is? It would be easier to dodge attacks, and he could always attack later. He debated back and forth, until finally he remembered. Kiai's eyes flashed as he looked up at Spearow and shouted, "Spearow! Mirror move!" Spearow dive-bombed the floor, and flew straight underground.

Slate thought for a moment, but then he shrugged and laughed. "Dugtrio! Hiddenpower!"

Dugtrio began to glow for a moment, small orbs appearing around him. "Trio!" Dugtrio shouted. The orbs shot forward, shooting through the hole and striking Spearow. Upon contact, the orbs seemed to act like an electric current, sending an electric shock through Spearow, that equivalent of at least a thunderbolt.

Kiai gritted his teeth. He knew that attack could have wiped Spearow out with one hit, but being underground, he banked on the move being grounded before it did significant damage. He knew now it was time to take the offensive, and shouted, "Spearow, attack it from underground! Use Fly!" Spearow shot out from the ground directly underneath Dugtrio, hitting it hard and resuming its place in the air around the ceiling. Kiai almost didn't want to look up, but when he did, his fears were confirmed. Spearow couldn't last much longer.

Slate growled. "Smart, boy, very smart. Dugtrio, Hiddenpower!" Dugtrio once again began to glow, the orbs appearing once more. "Trio!" it shouted, launching the orbs off again.

"Quick, Spearow! Get behind those lights!" Kiai shouted, and Spearow just barely managed to change its course to behind one of the hanging light fixtures. The electrical attack hit the light instead, and the current surge caused all the lights in the Gym to flicker. "Nice job Spearow, now end this! Aerial Ace!" A Spearow-shaped shadow seemed to fly amongst the light fixtures, altering its course with hairpin turns, and its speed ever increasing. Dugtrio tried to follow it, but even with three heads, it was staring up at a fast Pokémon behind a bright light. From out of nowhere, it seemed, Spearow came down, dive-bombing Dugtrio. Before it could react, the attack landed, and Dugtrio was knocked out.

"Damn, good one, kid." Slate held up his pokéball. "Dugtrio, return!" he shouted. "Best for last, I suppose." He reached to his belt and pulled out a pokéball. "If you've been to the museum, you might recognize this one. It's part water type, but I assure you, it is a rock type." He tossed the pokéball up. "Go, Kabuto!" he shouted. A Kabuto appeared from the pokéball. He laughed. "Let's see you stand up against an extinct Pokémon!"

"Careful, Kiai, we don't know what it can do!" Emily shouted.

Kiai studied the Kabuto. It was an odd looking thing, seemingly innocent. No matter how hard he stared, though, he couldn't come up with a plan of attack. He had never even heard of a Kabuto, nor of a Pokémon with both water and rock-type attributes. In the end, he decided to play it safe. "Spearow," he called out, "use Leer!" Spearow's eyes flashed, and Kabuto seemed to shiver and curl up.

Slate laughed. "That won't help you very much. Let's see how well your bird can fly in a...Blizzard!" Kabuto's eyes began to glow, and it shook a little. Suddenly, the temperature of the battlefield dropped amazingly, and a heavy snowstorm began to fall. Soon, it had turned into exactly what the attack was, a blizzard. Slate laughed. "Let's see you get through that."

Kiai clenched his teeth. If he had expected anything, this was not it. "Spearow...use Leer again!" Spearow's eyes flashed again, and Kabuto again shivered and curled up into its shell.

Slate laughed. "Leer won't help you too much here. Kabuto, finish off his bird with an Ice Beam!" Kabuto stood up right on the edge of its shell, showing its legs and black underbelly, along with its two red eyes. Its legs seem to shoot a small beam of ice between them, which combined into one large beam which fired directly at Spearow. Combined with the Blizzard, Spearow fell quickly, knocked out. Slate laughed again. "Bring out your next Pokémon, if you dare."

Kiai humbly called Spearow back, then looked at his shoulder. "You ready, Rattata?" Rattata chattered eagerly, and Kiai grinned. "Lets do this. Rattata, I choose you!" Rattata leapt off his shoulder and into the field of battle. "No taking chances this time, Rattata. Start things off with Agility!" Rattata's body shook as it worked itself up, and to show off, it dashed left and right. It was so quick, it was nearly impossible to see. "Nice Rattata...now, lets show Slate his crucial mistake! Hyper Fang!"

Rattata ran quickly toward Kabuto and sank its teeth into it. Normally, this would do very little. However, when combined with Spearow dropping its defense, it did quite a number on the Kabuto, injuring it far more than Slate had expected. Rattata leapt back, and waited for the next attack. Slate growled, never having seen two Pokémon working in tandem like this to bring down his rock-types.

"Kabuto!" Slate shouted, "Get it back with Absorb!" The Kabuto did not obey, it simply sat there. "Kabuto!" shouted Slate, "Listen to me!!" The Kabuto made no attempt to attack Rattata, but instead, began to glow a brilliant white. The shape of its body started to change, as it evolved into Kabutops. Slate could barely contain himself. "Perfect!" he shouted. "This is the justice for that Golduck. I'm not holding back anymore, boy. I'm going to show you how a real Gym battle is fought." He glared hard at Kiai, a fierce grin on his lips. "Let's have fun, shall we?" Slate spoke. "Kabutops, Water Pulse!" Kabutops held its long scythes up to its mouth, then released a blast of water, surrounded by ultrasonic waves like Shellshocker would do.

The nimble Rattata easily dodged the attack, which was lucky, because something so powerful would easily have put Rattata out. Kiai gritted his teeth; this was the scenario he feared. Rattata was strong, but it did not have moves powerful enough to take down an evolved Rock-type. However, he was this far and he couldn't back down. He had to think of something, but only one thing came to mind. "Rattata...keep an eye out, and use your Tail Whip!" Rattata waggled his tail at the Kabutops, causing it to stumble ever so slightly. Kiai was banking on things happening just a certain way, but there was no telling if it would.

"Kabutops, use your Mega Drain!" Slate shouted. Kabutops began to glow, and Rattata would quickly feel a great amount of health sapped away from it. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but Kabutops seemed to grow stronger from the attack.

Kiai cursed under his breath. Things were not going well. "Rattata..." he spoke, "Use Tail Whip again!" Rattata wagged its tail again, and Kabutops seemed to relax somewhat.

"Kabutops, don't let that stupid rat affect you. Finish it off with your ultimate attack, Ancientpower!"

"Kabutops!" Kabutops shouted and brought its scythes together. The ground began to shake fiercely. Slate smirked. "Kabutops!" Kabutops shouted, and rocks soon rose from the ground, circling Rattata. A moment later, they all came together, aimed at Rattata.

"RATTATA! JUMP! NOW!" shouted Kiai, as the rocks slammed together. It seemed like it was too late, until Rattata landed on the pile of rubble. It had moved so fast that no one could follow it. Kiai didn't even stop to think. "Now Rattata, Hyper Fang!"

"RRRRATTATA!" Rattata leapt at Kabutops, biting it fiercely. With its weakened defense, it took a great amount of damage, despite being Rock-type. However, it still stood strong.

Slate growled a little. "Very good, boy. You dodged the attack well. Now, Kabutops, let's truly end it this time...use your Slash attack!"

Kabutops rushed forward at Rattata, raising one of its sickles. "Kabutops!" it shouted and brought its sickle down on Rattata. Rattata, however, had other plans, as it quickly moved out of the way, then struck Kabutops in the head using a Quick Attack. Kabutops fell backwards onto its back, and growled as it slowly moved to stand up.

Slate was beginning to get annoyed. "Enough of this. Kabutops, Mud Shot!" Kabutops spat some water onto the sandy ground, then kicked a ball of mud at Rattata, hitting it in the face. Slate grinned, "Hah, now let's see you dodge this. Slash Attack, Kabutops!" Kabutops raised its sickle and brought it down hard on Rattata. Rattata screeched in pain, but stayed standing. It was breathing heavily, obviously severely wounded. Suddenly its body began to glow white, and it began to expand.

Slate growled, "NO! Not again!" Kiai simply stared, unable to speak.

Emily tugged on Kiai's sleeve, "Kiai, it's evolving!" The seconds ticked by, but strangely, Rattata did not stop growing. It began to shrink, back down to Rattata's size, then, stopped glowing. Rattata stood there, unchanged. Emily tilted her head to the side. "What's wrong, Kiai? Why didn't it evolve?" Kiai stood for a moment, looking hard at Rattata. Why did it stop? Why did it refuse? It could have won so much easier. Then he saw it; the unmistakable look of determination in Rattata's eye.

Kiai spoke, "It started this battle as Rattata...it wants to finish it as Rattata." Silence fell over the gym, as those words sank in. Kiai would bet this all on one last attack. "Rattata...Endeavor!" Rattata glowed yellow, absorbing power from all around it. When it stopped glowing, it bristled with energy, ready to put everything into one final attack.

Slate laughed. "So, your Pokémon doesn't want to evolve, huh? I'll teach it what happens when it stays as puny as it is now. Kabutops, let's end this. Hyper Beam!" Kabutops inhaled, pulling its sickles to its mouth. It then pushed its sickles out, releasing a large beam from its mouth that shot across the arena towards Rattata.

Rattata made no attempt to dodge the beam. It dug its small feet into the ground and took it head-on. After the beam passed by, Rattata was barely standing, but still bristling with energy. Kiai shouted, "Finish it Rattata, Hyper Fang!" Rattata took off like a shot, and leapt at Kabutops' head, biting down on it hard. It stayed there, hanging from Kabutops' nose, its teeth sunk into Kabutops' stone skin. Suddenly a loud 'Crack!" echoed across the gym as a large split appeared where Rattata had bitten. Kabutops dropped to its knees, then slumped forward. Rattata released Kabutops from its teeth, and stood proud for a short moment, before falling unconscious.

Slate's eyes went wide as he watched. "Amazing!" he held up his pokéball. "Kabutops, return!" Kabutops zapped back into the pokéball, and Slate placed it on his belt. "I would normally call this a draw, as both of our Pokémon fainted, however, I will call this a win...for you." Slate pulled out another boulder badge. "Because that final move was simply amazing, and since Kabutops fainted about one second before Rattata, I give unto you the Pokémon League Boulder Badge." Slate handed the badge to Kiai. "Amazing, boy, simply amazing. Keep at this, and your Pokémon and you will grow strong. I am sure of it."

Kiai held the badge in his hand; he could hardly believe it. He stared at it for a second, before remembering! "Rattata!" he called out, running to Rattata and gently scooping it up into his hands. He smiled as he thought to himself, "Oak was right." He rejoined Emily, and they were both congratulated by Slate, who seemed to have taken on a very jolly persona now that the fighting was over and he didn't have to be so serious. Emily and Kiai dropped their Pokémon off at the Pokémon Center before going out for a celebratory dinner.

When they returned to pick their Pokémon up, Nurse Joy said that something strange had happened as soon as Rattata regained consciousness. Before being able to explain, a Raticate burst out of the medical ward and leapt into Kiai's arms, nuzzling him happily. Kiai hugged it, knowing that he had found a truly good friend. That evening, before the sun had gone down, Kiai and Emily were too eager to sleep in Pewter City, so they left and headed east. As the sun sank into the horizon, Kiai and Emily turned back to face Pewter City. This day, they had both officially become Pokémon Trainers. The Boulder Badges on their shirts reflected the setting sun as their first day came to a close. The turned their backs to Pewter City and trudged onward, eager for their next challenge.


	8. Magma Trainers, Dream of Sorrow

**Chapter 8: Magma Trainers and a Revealed Dream of Sorrow**

Emily and Kiai continued to walk. Pewter City lied behind them now, and the path ahead of them would lead them to Cerulean City, if they could make it that far. "So, our next gym is in Cerulean City...which means we'll have to fight Misty..." Emily looked up at Kiai. "She uses water Pokémon...do we have anything that can fight that?"

Questions: Kiai's specialty. He tilted his head back and gazed up into the blue sky, stroking his chin. "Well...under normal circumstances, the odds would be even for me, but...perhaps difficult for you, unless you emphasize Golduck's psychic abilities. However, most gyms are not normal circumstances. As we saw in Pewter City, Rock and Ground Pokémon have the edge; they have places to dig and rocks to throw. In Cerulean City, they have that enormous pool…so Water types will be in their element. You may have as great a challenge awaiting you as I did in Pewter Gym."

"Hmm, that makes sense," Emily spoke, nodding. "Although...now a question enters my mind...what does one have to do to become certified as a Pokémon League Gym Leader?"

"Hmmm…that's a good question!" Kiai spoke. "I don't rightfully know, but I'll wager it has something to do with beating the Gym Leaders…unless you want to start a new Gym, which probably means a lot of paperwork and inspections. Why do you ask? Are you thinking about becoming a Gym Leader? Or just kicking Misty out of a job?" He playfully nudged Emily as he said the last part.

Emily giggled a little. "I was mostly just curious...I mean...if there's no real work involved, I would wonder why there are so few gym leaders. On top of that, the eight we're probably going to get aren't really the eight that others get. There are a few more gyms then the ones Ash fought in, like Gary went after a few that Ash didn't." She thought for a moment. "Becoming a Gym Leader would probably be fun one day, but I don't really know what I'd have to do to become one."

"Hmm...a Gym Leader.." Kiai once again gazed into the sky in deep thought. Images of raising Pokémon and helping new trainers along their way, and settling down with a certain someone, flashed through his mind. "That sounds like fun..." he spoke, trailing off.

"Maybe someday," Emily spoke, nodding and putting her hands behind her back.

"No way!" a voice shouted from nearby. "There's just no way!" Emily blinked, wondering what was going on. As they made it over a small hill, the sight in front of them made their eyes go wide. Two Team Rocket members were standing there, a trainer was in between them. The first Rocket Member was a man of about twenty. He had short, black hair, along with a pair of goggles on his head. His eyes were hazel, and he wore a red outfit, with a white R on it. The girl near him was shorter then him by about three inches, and wasn't much older. She had fire-red hair, and sapphire eyes. Her outfit was also red with a white R on it. "Leave me alone!" the trainer shouted. His voice was recognized as the one from before.

Kiai immediately clutched a pokéball from his belt, and Raticate leapt off his shoulder to the ground, ready to fight. "I think you ought to do what he says," Kiai spoke.

The Team Rocket members turned to face him, the female putting her hand up to her mouth and laughing, "Oh ho ho! Aren't you a brave one," she spoke. "You must not know who we are."

The man gave a laugh and jumped back. "Prepare for trouble," he spoke.

The woman jumped back next to him. "And make that double," she spoke.

"We'll defend the world with our evil," the man spoke, waving his hand in front of his face.

"We'll gain power using our enhanced strengths," the woman spoke, also doing the same thing.

"Zachary," the man spoke.

"Valerie," the woman spoke.

"We are Team Rocket, and we will destroy you!" the man spoke, moving to form half of an R.

"So you might as well, surrender, or you will die!" The woman moved to form the other half.

"So surrender!" they shouted as they ended their motto. Kiai dropped the pokéball, causing Spearow to pop out. It twittered, looking up at a very confused Kiai, as if wondering why it was called out. He tried to form words, but his brain was still processing what had just occurred. His eye twitched.

Emily just stared, blinking a little. "Wow..." she spoke. "That was just..." she was at a loss for words.

"Squirtle!" Shellshocker spoke up, and it broke Emily's "trance."

"Right...anyway...I know Team Rocket is dumb...but I didn't think you were that dumb..." Emily sighed. "Kiai, let's take care of these two." Kiai, however, ignored her and stepped over Spearow, walking up to Zachary and Valerie, who were still in their pose. Kiai put his finger to Zachary's forehead, and pushed. They gracelessly fell over.

"Why, you brat!" Zachary shouted. "We are Zachary and Valerie, also known as the Magma Trainers of Team Rocket! We're stronger then you can ever hope to be!" Zach looked to Valerie. "Let's do this, Valerie."

Valerie nodded, "Yeah," she spoke.

"Go, Vulpix!" Zachary shouted, grabbing a pokéball off his belt and tossing it into the air, releasing the small, red, nine-tailed fox.

Valerie smirked. "Feel the wrath of Magby!" she tossed her own pokéball into the air, and the small, pre-evolved form of Magmar appeared. "You can't hope to stand up against us," Zachary spoke.

"You think so? Go! Shellshocker!" Emily shouted.

Kiai smirked. "This is almost a waste of time. Raticate, that Vulpix is yours. But, be nice and give it the first attack."

Zachary laughed, "How boastful you are, brat. Go, Vulpix, use your Flamethrower attack on that little rat!"

Vulpix howled, "Vuullllpix!" and flames shot out of its mouth. Raticate stood its ground, and took the attack full on. When the flames vanished, Raticate was slightly singed but no worse for the wear.

"Very nice, Raticate. Now, Quick Attack!" Raticate dashed toward Vulpix, running around it in quick circles. Vulpix's eyes got all swirly as it tried to keep track, and before Raticate even attacked it, Vulpix got dizzy and fell over. Shortly after, Zachary fell over onto Valerie, having gotten dizzy from trying to watch Raticate as well.

Emily watched as Raticate struck Vulpix hard with his quick attack. She then grinned. "Magma Trainers...two fire types..." she looked to Shellshocker. "Shellshocker! Use Water Gun!"

"Squirtle squirt!" Shellshocker shouted, then inhaled. He shot out a huge blast of water, which struck Magby hard. It knocked the fire Pokémon over, causing its eyes to swirl.

"What?!" Valerie shouted. "No way! This just can't be!" Magby slowly moved to stand up. "Magby, use Flamethrower!"

Emily grinned as Magby stood to its feet. "Mag...BY!" Magby shouted, launching fire from its mouth.

"Water Gun!" Emily shouted and Shellshocker shot a blast of water from its mouth again to counter the attack. The two attacks collided in the center, causing a small explosion and a release of large amounts of steam which knocked back both Pokémon a little. Magby was left lying on the ground, knocked out.

"Did we lose already?" Valerie asked.

"Not yet," Zachary spoke. "Vulpix! Flamethrower!" Vulpix quickly got to its feet and launched off another blast of fire from its mouth, once again aimed at Raticate.

"Tackle it through the flames, Raticate!" Raticate launched itself into the flames, coming out the other side straight and hard at Vulpix, knocking it back and out. Kiai turned to Team Rocket, and spoke, "Told you not to mess with us. Now leave us alone, and don't ever let me catch you tormenting another trainer again, or I swear we'll settle it without using Pokémon." Kiai drew up his fist and clenched it menacingly.

Zachary stepped back a little. "You haven't seen the last of us! Vulpix, return!"

"Magby, return!" Valerie shouted, and the two Pokémon were returned to their balls. Zachary then pulled out another small ball and tossed it to the ground. It released smoke, and the two ran off.

Emily coughed. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, thank heavens," the trainer spoke. "Those two...I was on my way to Mt. Moon, and they appeared out of nowhere...they caught me off guard and then grabbed one of my pokéballs..." he looked down at his belt. "They grabbed my only empty one, luckily...but either way, they still got away...and if it had been any other pokéball, I would be one Pokémon less right now."

"That Team Rocket...one of these days, I'm going to have to go teach them a lesson." Kiai returned Spearow, still looking somewhat confused as to why it was called out. He then turned toward the trainer. "Are you hurt in any way? If so, we can walk you back to Pewter City." Kiai spoke.

The trainer smiled and shook his head, "No no, thanks to you, I'm fine."

"That's good to hear," Emily spoke, then looked away.

"I heard Team Rocket has set up a base at Mt. Moon," the trainer spoke. "I was going to check it out...but...they got in my way...maybe you two should? It's along the way anyway." Emily looked to Kiai, an almost determined look on her face. She looked like she had a burning desire to go after Team Rocket, though she said nothing.

Kiai looked back at Emily and nodded. Her eyes were unmistakably the same as his. He turned back to the trainer and spoke, "We'll check it out. You can count on us."

The trainer smiled, "Thank you," he spoke, "it's a little ways off of the path. You can see it best at night, when the lights are on. But be careful, because during the day there are a lot of Team Rocket members around, and they usually steal Pokémon from people taking this path to Cerulean City.

Kiai nodded, "Thank you, we will be careful." The trainer smiled, "I should go back to Pewter City and pick up another spare pokéball before going through Mt. Moon. I can't thank you two enough though. Take care!" With that, he smiled, waved, and began hiking down the path that Kiai and Emily had just traveled.

Emily looked out to Mt. Moon, which wasn't too far away. "Team Rocket..." she spoke, then pulled out her blue pokéball. "Do you think they'll have any pokerus infected Pokémon?"

"They probably do," Kiai spoke, after a moments thought, "A lot of trainers around here don't have very strong Pokémon, so stealing weak ones to perform experiments on...it would make sense." A chill ran down his spine, as images of Pokémon being infected and tortured this very moment ran through his head. He bit his lip and calmed himself. "We'll have to be careful about this...sneak up on them...figure them out...before going in.." he spoke, his body twitching in forced restraint.

Emily nodded. "I agree, we'll have to be careful." She put the pokéball back onto her belt. "Let's go." Emily turned and began to walk towards Mt. Moon.

Kiai and Emily walked more carefully now, knowing that malicious trainers could be lurking in any shadow. As they walked, the path began a slow and steady climb up toward the Grey Mountains, where the caves in Mt. Moon served as the passage between the two low-lands. The day dragged on. Before long, they began to notice two peculiar things: one, that there were no trainers on what would normally be a very busy route, and two, that there were nearly no wild Pokémon in the area. Clearly, the Team Rocket base was having a major impact.

"I'm worried, Kiai, we've seen a whole two Pokémon around here since we started walking after we met up with that trainer...and we've gone for a while...I'm very worried. Team Rocket must be up to something big if the wild Pokémon themselves aren't even wanting to appear." Emily put her head against Kiai's shoulder. "This could be very dangerous."

Kiai found Emily's hand, and held it tenderly. "It's ok," he spoke, "I won't let anything happen to you." They continued to walk, the path becoming rougher and steeper. It got dark very quick, as the sun set behind the mountains. There seemed to be a chill in the air, though whether that was from the cold mountain air or the emptiness that Kiai and Emily were walking into wasn't clear.

Emily shivered as she felt the chill in the air. "It's getting late...maybe we should sleep for tonight and continue tomorrow," she spoke, looking up at Kiai. She moved so she was now in front of him, then laid her head on his chest.

Kiai looked at her as she stood close to him, wondering. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her. "Are you ok?" he spoke, softly.

Emily shook her head. At first, she said nothing as she buried her face in his chest. "I'm scared..." she spoke after a moment. "My dream...this is where it all happens..."

Kiai held her tight. "This is no dream...we will make it through this, Emily.." he spoke, then lowered his voice to a sincere whisper, "I swear to you.."

Emily bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay..." she spoke. She then grabbed the top of her halter top and untied it, letting her breasts go free. Her hands then moved, gently grabbing Kiai's hands. She slowly directed them to her breasts, where she firmly set Kiai's hands. She then looked up at Kiai.

Kiai gazed deep into Emily's eyes as he moved closer to her. The emptiness of the night seemed to magnify her presence. He slid his hands off of her breasts and around her back, his warm arms warding off the cool night air. He pulled her body up to his, and their lips met in a tender kiss.

Emily blushed as he kissed her, soon entering into the kiss herself, putting passion into it. It took only a moment before her body began to react to what was happening, and after a moment, she found herself beginning to move herself against him, as if desiring him. It took her a moment to realize what she was doing, and she quickly pulled from the kiss, then pulled herself away from him, blushing.

Kiai walked over to her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok..?" he spoke.

"No..." Emily spoke again. "I'm just...afraid...I know what you said about us not getting separated but...you also said that in my dream..." she looked up at Kiai. "I don't want to lose you..." she stood to her feet, then bit her lip. "I..." she looked down at herself, then back up at Kiai. "I love you...and..." she grabbed her skirt, then dropped it, leaving her in just her underwear. She then walked up close to Kiai, stepping out of her skirt. "I want to be with you forever..." she then grabbed her underwear, dropping it to the ground. "I'm letting you see my whole body tonight...I'm not going to wear anything until tomorrow...but I don't want to go too far either..." she grabbed his shirt, pulling it off. "However, you can touch me any way you want to." She then pushed her bare chest against his, then wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest.

Kiai wrapped his arms around her again, running his fingers through her hair. "Emily.." he spoke, searching for the right words. "I love you too...and I don't care about your dream. I'm never leaving you. Not ever." He tilted Emily's head back and gazed into her eyes, then lowered his head and kissed her again.

Emily closed her eyes as the two entered into a deep kiss filled with passion and romance. Emily could swear she was floating in the air as the two kissed one another. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she soon broke from the kiss, laying her head on his chest once more. "Let's go to bed now, we have a big day ahead of us."

Kiai nodded. "Yes, lets." he whispered. It was some time before they broke from their embrace, and when they set up their camp naked, the cold air began to chill them. Kiai layed out his sleeping bag, half wondering if Emily was going to do the same with hers. "So...um.." he spoke, blushing, "would...you like to share a...share a.." He couldn't seem to form the remaining words.

"A sleeping bag?" Emily asked. "I'd love to, but remember, we aren't doing anything." She blushed when she said that. "Well...unless you want to touch me...but that's it...you can feel me up, but you can't stick your finger anywhere, or any other part of your body..." she blushed even heavier now as the thought of them having sex entered her mind.

Kiai's face went completely red. It was only his chivalrous instinct that forced him to open his sleeping back and say, "Ladies first." Otherwise, he remained completely silent. Emily crawled into his sleeping back, Kiai came in after her. The cold night was immediately forgotten, as their warm bodies became so close.

Emily rolled onto her side, so that she was facing Kiai. "I love you," she spoke. She then rolled over, grabbed Kiai's hands, pushed herself back against him, then wrapped his arms around her, setting them on her breasts, as if it was natural for them to be there.

Kiai pulled her close, and whispered in her ear, "I love you too." She could feel his body curl up to hers, as if finding strength and comfort in just being close to her. There was a part of him that desired to touch her, to explore her body, but he thought, he would only do it if she truly wanted it. Until that day, he would be content with what she gave him.

Emily blushed a bit before finally closing her eyes and falling asleep. A small "mew" sound was heard, but also ignored. In a bush nearby, a small, blue Pokémon watched the two. Its eyes examining them, before glowing a light purple color. After a moment, Emily began to shiver, not from the cold, but from her dream. The small Pokémon nearby seemed to be putting a dream in her mind, just as it had for the last three years. Emily soon began to stir and shake, before finally she screamed awake. The blue Pokémon then seemed to vanish, as if never being there in the first place. Neither Kiai nor Emily saw it.

Kiai awoke immediately, and wrapped Emily up in his arms, whispering in her ear, "It's ok Emily, it's ok, I'm here. It was just a dream."

Tears formed on Emily's cheeks as they rolled down from her eyes. "It was horrible...the same dream...it feels like its not a dream..." she sighed. "We were in Mt. Moon...and Team Rocket ganged up on us...we were thrown in a cell, and they took Shellshocker. They experimented on him...turned him into one of..." she bit her lip, then looked at the belt that lied next to their bag, "...them..." she finished, pointing at the blue pokéball that held Goldy. "Then...they dropped us in a pit...and we were attacked by one of those...extinct Pokémon..." she shut her eyes tight and began to cry. "You saved me...at the cost of your life...and I killed it...somehow...in a fit of rage..."

Kiai listened intently...this was the first time Emily had ever spoken about the contents of her dream. It did seem prophetic, but Kiai refused to believe that it could happen. He held Emily tight and spoke, "I'm not going to leave you, Emily. Not me, not Shellshocker...no one. I'm going to be with you forever. Now please...please forget this dream.."

Emily nodded. "I will tomorrow...once we've gone through Mt. Moon...if it doesn't occur, I will be able to forget it..." she pushed herself against him. "You can help me relax some...I feel better when your massaging my breasts." Kiai blushed a bit at Emily's straightforwardness. Slowly, he worked up the courage to rest his hands on her breasts, and he began to gently caress them. Emily moaned a little as he gently massaged her breasts. She leaned herself back against him, her body no longer tense. "That feels good," she spoke.

"It does.." he spoke, and it did. He could feel how soft and warm they were, and her nipples growing hard as she became aroused. He felt her body tense body sink into his, and he kissed her neck and shoulders.

She moaned a little as she now found herself weak. "You found my weak spot," she spoke. Her voice was showing that she was tired, and was wanting to sleep. The more he massaged her, the more relaxed she became, and the easier she was finding herself drifting to sleep.

Kiai continued to massage her breasts, and as he did, he listened to her breathing. When it became steady and deep, he knew she was asleep. Massaging her breasts made him grow bold, and now that he was, he wanted to take Emily up on her offer of touching her body. As soon as he was sure she was asleep, he slid one hand down her tummy, down between her legs. Being on her side, he couldn't feel much...but he could feel its warmth, and that was enough for him. He kept his hand there, the other on her breast, until he too fell asleep.

The night was mostly uneventful, save for a moment where Emily became horny, and, without knowing it, had used Kiai's hand to please herself. The morning soon came, and her eyes slowly opened. She gave a groan as she woke up, then looked down at herself. She blushed a little when she saw where Kiai's hands were, then carefully slid out of his grip and stood to her feet. A small stream with a waterfall was nearby, so she made her way over to it, hopping under the waterfall to wash herself.

When Kiai woke up, he was again surprised to not see Emily there. He looked around, and noticed her bag had been opened, and a towel missing. He sighed, guessing that she had left to wash herself. He snuggled back into the sleeping bag to recapture the closeness he had felt all night, then noticed his hand was slightly wet. He sniffed it, and it didn't smell familiar. He licked the tip of his finger and, although it tasted sweet, it too was not familiar. He decided to just wash it off, and he crawled out of the sleeping bag and made his way down to a nearby stream to wash his hands.

Emily sang a little as she washed herself. A noise startled her, and she turned, seeing Kiai not far off. "Hey, Kiai!" she shouted to him from the waterfall. She wondered if he could hear her or not.

Kiai thought he heard his name, so he looked around. There, standing under a waterfall, her body drenched from head to toe, her hair hanging wet over her face and shoulders, stood Emily. Kiai could do nothing more than gaze at her beauty.

Emily smiled, then walked out from under the waterfall, walking towards him. "Come on, take your clothes off and come wash up. You haven't showered since Viridian."

Kiai blushed, and slowly took off his remaining clothes. He waded into the water, and made his way over to the waterfall with Emily. He stammered, suddenly thinking of something he would like to do. "Do you...um.." he spoke, "need...any help washing?" He couldn't even look Emily in the eye, he was so embarrassed.

Emily blushed at this comment. She looked down. "Well...you could help me reach my back," she spoke. Her mind was beginning to flood with all kinds of thoughts, which only made her blush even more.

Kiai nodded, and took the soap from the rock Emily placed it on. He and Emily both went back under the waterfall, and she turned her back to him. He rubbed the soap onto her washcloth, then began scrubbing her back, starting with her neck and slowly working his way down. He couldn't help but place his other hand on her chest, to keep from pushing her forward as he scrubbed her back.

Emily could only blush as Kiai washed her. She didn't speak at first, thoughts moving through her head. After a moment, she spoke, "Do you like it when I'm naked?"

"Yes." Kiai spoke, without hesitation. He blushed instantly, realizing what he just blurted out. He scrubbed her back faster, hoping it would somehow make her forget it.

Emily blushed at his response. "I'm glad you do," she spoke, then reached behind her and grabbed his hand. She turned to face him and smiled. "One thing," she spoke. "I'll let you do any one thing you want to me."

Kiai blushed even more, a flurry of thoughts rushing through his head. "One thing..? Any one thing?" he spoke, his eyes wide.

Emily blushed and nodded. "Any one thing you want...even..." she stopped, looking down. Her eyes were focused on a particular object between his legs.

"Well...there is...something...I wanted to try" he stammered. "I've heard about it, and I've always wanted to try it.." His eyes were lowered in embarrassment, but they wandered to the area between her legs. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind..?"

Emily smiled. "Well, I did say any one thing," she spoke. "So, if there is something you want to try, go ahead."

"O..okay" he spoke, looking around the river. "Here.." he grabbed Emily's wrist and led her to a spot nearby, where there was a patch of grass near the river. "Sit down here, and lie back." Emily sat down, her feet in the water, and laid back onto the grass. Kiai knelt down in front of her, with one hand on her thigh, and gulped hard.

The next few moments lead to an amazing moment shared between the two. About a half an hour or more passed, and their moment finally grew to a close. Emily laid herself back against the ground, her eyes closed. They had gone all the way, and not even cared about how safe they were in sharing the moment.

"Oh god, that felt so good!" Emily spoke as she panted a little, then threw her arms around Kiai and pulled him close, opening her eyes to look at him. "I love you so much," she spoke, kissing him on the lips.

"I love you too," Kiai spoke, and returned her kiss. He had never felt so amazing before in his life. The feeling of releasing inside her, and releasing together, and still being inside her was like nothing else in the world. They remained like that, with their bodies intertwined, for some time. There was nothing else in the world as far as they were concerned, just a patch of grass and the soothing sound of a waterfall.


	9. The Electric Type Human

A/N: So, for this chapter, Freerefill and I wanted to do something a bit different, and portray something I've always wanted to see on the show. Please, I ask you not to get offended by this chapter, or tell me off for this chapter. This was simply just a bit of fun, and I really felt it helped with the plot. So, now, enjoy Chapter 9 of the story.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Electric-Type Human**

Emily sighed happily as she looked up at Kiai. After sharing a very special moment together, the two were happy. Shellshocker and Raticate had mostly just been sleeping, though, upon realizing their trainers had gone off a ways, they rushed to find them, and had reached them to see the two sharing their precious moment. Emily slowly sat herself up, putting her weight upon her arms.

Kiai sat up with her, with one arm around her, wishing he could keep her as close as possible. He blushed a bit when their Pokémon came into view, but he was still smiling. He kissed Emily's cheek, and slowly drew himself out of her.

Emily shook for a moment as she felt him pull out of her. She kissed him back and slowly stood to her feet. "I guess we should get dressed," Emily spoke, "since we need to leave for Mt. Moon."

Kiai nodded "Yes, we do." He helped Emily up and they walked down the stream back to the waterfall, where they washed off and headed back to their campsite. Kiai pulled on his clothes, a simple t-shirt and shorts, and slipped his sandals on. Emily slipped on her skirt and undies, then grabbed her halter top off the ground. For a moment, she just held it, but she then moved to tie the lower part of her halter top, then pulled it up and tied the top. She looked to Kiai and smiled, kissing him gently on the lips.

Kiai slid his hands around Emily's slender waist and returned her kiss. They pulled apart and smiled at each other before gathering their belongings and heading up Mt. Moon. All the while, Kiai was looking left and right along the path, still searching for the elusive Team Rocket base rumored to be hidden in the forest.

"Mew," a quiet, cute, voice spoke. It wasn't loud enough for anyone to here. Emily blinked as her eyes looked around. She could feel a presence was watching them, but she wasn't sure what. "Mew," the voice said again, but this time it was loud enough that both Kiai and Emily could hear it.

"What was that?" Emily asked. She looked around, not seeing anything, but the voice could still be heard.

Kiai looked around. There was something odd about the voice, something powerful, regardless of what it sounded like. "I don't know.." he spoke, "It sounded like a cat.. but.. different. I think it came from over here." He walked off the path into the forest, moving bushes aside and looking around.

"Mew," the voice spoke once again. It seemed to be leading them somewhere. Emily and Kiai continued to follow the voice. Soon, the two found themselves staring straight at Mt. Moon itself. The tall mountain was so large it made them dizzy trying to look at the top. "Mew," the voice spoke again, but the source was still not found. In front of them was a large cavern that lead into Mt. Moon itself. Emily bit her lip.

Kiai stared at it.. aghast. "Emily.." he spoke, "Do you think this could be.. the Team Rocket base?" He began thinking heavily about the voice, as it had obviously drawn them to it. Something was terribly odd about the whole situation. The strange voice, Emily's dream, he was sure they were connected.

"I think so," Emily spoke. She breathed in heavily, then breathed out slowly, giving a long, heavy sigh. "I guess this is it..."

"Mew," the voice spoke again. It now seemed to come from inside the cavern.

Kiai slid his hand into hers and held it. "Emily..." He took a moment to consider what to say next. "Team Rocket needs to be stopped.. we've been led here.. for whatever reason.. this is our task.. but if you don't want to go.. I will not force you."

Emily nodded. "I know," she spoke, then leaned her whole body against Kiai. She rested her hands and head on his chest. "I'm just scared..." Tears began to form in her eyes as she remembered her dream.

"It's ok.." Kiai slid his hand into her hair and stroked it. "You don't have to come.. but I can't come this far and do nothing. I have go in.. I have to stop them.. somehow.."

Emily sighed. "I'll go with you..." she spoke. "I'm just...afraid..."

"I won't leave your side Emily.. I will protect you.. I promise." Kiai spoke.

Raticate chattered its teeth and yelped "RRRaticate!" in agreement. Kiai squeezed her hand tighter. Emily looked up at him. He was smiling, and his eyes were determined.

"I hope so," Emily spoke, then gave Kiai another hug before letting go and turning to Mt. Moon. "Let's go." Her entire expression had now changed. She was serious, and no longer did tears plague her eyes.

Kiai grasped Emily's hand as they made their way through the remaining brush to the clearing before the cave. It was a natural cave, large and misshapen. As Kiai looked around, he could see several light fixtures attached to the stone. The unmistakable scent of machinery billowed out from the mouth of the cave. Spotting the lights, Kiai looked around more. "I don't see any cameras.." he spoke ".. I think it's safe." The two slowly entered the cave, clinging to the wall, barely whispering.

Emily bit her lip as the two continued on. She looked around, examining the cave. "It's all just like my dream..." she spoke.

"Don't tell yourself that.." whispered Kiai, "It's just a dream. It can't hurt us." Even saying that though, Kiai had a suspicion that none of this was a coincidence. As they proceeded down the cave, they began noticing more signs of humanity; electric wires hung from wire supports, stone was smoothed out and chipped away. It quickly transitioned into what looked identical to a medical center, with glass sliding doors and electronic locks.

"But, what if it isn't just a dream?"

"If it isn't a dream.. then whatever awaits us will come to us eventually.. we cannot escape it. So, we must rise up.. and face it."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right...but it scares me to think of it..." she clinged tightly to Kiai.

"Mew," the familiar voice spoke once more. The voice sounded close, but still remained unseen.

Kiai bit his lip. He looked around the vast room, searching for another person. Seeing nothing but darkness, he quickly pulled off his backpack and opened it. He drew from it what looked like a short, thin cylinder. He twisted it, and it extended out to 5 feet. Grasping it in both hands, he took a swing at a chamber with a healthy-looking Pidgey, shattering the glass. An alarm immediately went off when he did, but Kiai paid no head to it and moved to the next chamber, which held a Metapod, and swung again.

Emily followed him closely, grabbing the Pokémon out of the chambers as he smashed them. Emily knew Rocket members would soon be rushing in. "Mew," a voice spoke, and suddenly, there was a flash of light. A small, blue colored Mew appeared in front of them, its skin shining brightly. "Mew mew, mew mew mew," it spoke, waving its arms around and flying around. Emily blinked.

Kiai stopped, and stared at the strange Pokémon that appeared before them. As curious as he was, he quickly glanced about him. There were hundreds of Pokémon in the facility, and many of them had not been exposed to the virus. He knew that this new Pokémon would help them.. but he couldn't simply abandon the innocent. He yelled to Mew, "Take care of her!" and darted away into the darkness. The sound of glass shattering could be heard echoing above the grinding machinery.

"Kiai!" Emily shouted as he ran off. She bit her lip, then rushed after him.

"Mew!" Mew shouted loudly, flying with them.

"Stop!" a voice shouted, and about ten rocket members appeared, surrounding Kiai and Emily.

Emily rushed to Kiai and clung to him. "We can't take all of them..." Emily spoke.

Kiai clenched his fists, clutching his staff. He grit his teeth, then defiantly smashed another chamber. "Bring it." he spoke, staring at the crowd of Team Rocket members.

Emily looked to Kiai, then looked back. "Go, everyone!" she shouted. Shellshocker rushed forward and she tossed her two pokéballs out, releasing Goldy and her Venonat. "I hate bug Pokémon," she spoke to herself, shook it off, then quickly looked forward. The Rocket members laughed and launched their pokéballs as well, each releasing improved, shiny versions of several Pokémon. "Pokérus Pokémon, huh? Well, I have my own!" Emily shouted. "Goldy, Hyper Beam attack!" Goldy put his hands to his head and launched off a large beam from the gem on his forehead, which struck and knocked out two of the Pokémon nearby.

Kiai did the same, releasing Raticate and ordering it to tackle the nearest Team Rocket member. He took his staff and brought it down hard on another, but Emily and Kiai, as well as their Pokémon, were attacked and restrained by several dark gray Machamps.

"Mew," Mew spoke, quietly, hiding nearby. It watched as Kiai and Emily were detained, their pokéballs removed, and then pulled along, their hands and feet quickly bound so they couldn't break free.

It took several minutes, but they were soon tossed into a rather large room. The door was sealed behind them, and when they looked up, they found a man sitting in a chair high above them. "So, you two really did try to test the power of Team Rocket," the man spoke with a smirk. On his lap was a Persian. His hand gently stroked the cat, and it meowed, looking down with an evil smirk. "Now, what to do with you two?" he asked. He snapped his fingers and a large, regular Scyther appeared. It brought its scythes down, cutting the ropes that bound Emily and Kiai, then vanished.

Kiai looked up at the man. "I will always defend the innocent, even at the cost of my life." He spit on the man's mirror-smooth black shoes, and glared up into his eyes.

"Hmm..." the man spoke, his smirk changing to an angrier look. "So, you appear to be serious." He snapped his fingers once more. Emily quickly shut her eyes, clinging tightly to Kiai. From the other side of the room, a door slowly began to open. "I'll leave you two alone with my little pet," he stood to his feet and walked off.

A hissing noise could be heard from the door on the other side of the room. "This is it..." Emily spoke. Tears were running down her cheeks. "It's all happened exactly the same way..."

Kiai stood up. He was now weaponless and defenseless, but he was not afraid to fight bare-handed. He knew that he had to protect Emily now, and that was something he didn't have to worry about. He turned to face an enormous, almost gold Arbok, slithering across the floor toward them. It was extraordinarily large, about four times the size of a normal one, and comparable to a small Onix.

Emily opened her eyes, blinking a little. The sight in front of her was almost strange to her. "This is...different..." she spoke. The Arbok slithered forward, standing itself up and hissing again.

"Mew!" the voice of Mew was heard.

Suddenly, Emily seemed to fall into a trance of some sort. After a single moment, she shook her head, nodding. "I don't know what this means but..." she closed her eyes and rose her hands forward. Energy seemed to surge through her hands, looking almost like lightning traveling through her arms. "Thunder!" she shouted, and a large bolt of lightning seemed to shoot from her hands, striking the Arbok hard. It roared and hissed, before collapsing to the ground, knocked out. Emily fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

Kiai looked at her, his face ashen white. He took a step back, while sparks of electricity flickered around her body. "Emily.." he whispered, ".. what was that..?"

"I...don't know..." she spoke, breathing heavily. "Mew told me...to do it..." Her back arched and the electricity seemed to die down, soon vanishing. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and just breathed. "This part wasn't in my dream..." she spoke as her breathing slowly returned to normal. "But then..." she looked up at Kiai. "They took Shellshocker...and I remember seeing him turn into one of those shinies...and they haven't done that yet..." she bit her lip. "Is it possible I wasn't shown something?"

"Shown something.. Emily.. you think this 'Mew' was.. influencing your dreams?" He could barely form words, seeing a human cast a Pokémon attack was simply too much to guess at.

Emily looked up at Kiai, then thought for a moment. "You said Psychic Pokémon can influence our dreams...so...maybe..." she looked up quickly. "Maybe it was." She then bit her lip. "But...I wasn't shown this...maybe...this can change the rest?" She looked at her hands. "But...what is this?"

"Whatever it is.. it's our ticket out of here. Come on." Kiai got to his feet, deciding that there was no way to figure out all the "whys" at the moment. He grasped Emily's hand and felt a small static jolt. His hair stood on end, not because of the jolt, but because he wasn't exactly sure what it was he was grasping. He hesitated, his hand only an inch away from hers.

Emily quickly pulled her hand away and looked away from him. "I...I don't know..." she spoke as she stood to her feet herself. "I don't think it is smart to use this power until we know what it is...or why..." she looked at her hands again. "It could be dangerous..." she looked up at the door in front of her. "But..." she bit her lip and closed her eyes. She held her hand out towards the door. "Thundershock," she spoke, and a small jolt of electricity jumped from her hands, hitting the door. It was enough to fry the circuits, and unlock it. She could feel the energy coursing through her body still. "I..." she started, but then didn't finish.

Kiai walked up to her and grasped her wrist, getting another static jolt. He didn't mind, and simply held on to her. "Emily.. I don't know what's going on.. but.. lets just do what we came here to do and figure this all out later, ok?" He looked into her eyes and smiled. He was confused, and somewhat afraid.

"Ok," Emily spoke, nodding. "Let's go...maybe we can still make it in time..." She turned and rushed off, making her way back the way they were dragged. The base seemed fairly empty again, and Emily bit her lip. They reached the large chamber once more, and there she found them, her Pokémon, and Kiai's, all held in their pokéballs, save for two. Raticate and Shellshocker were both hooked up to the machines. They were both struggling to get free, but to no avail. They had already changed.

"It's too late..." Emily spoke. She growled. "Thunder!" she shouted, feeling the energy surge through her body once more. She held her arms forward, and a huge bolt of lightning struck the machines that held both Shellshocker and Raticate, freeing them. Shellshocker's skin was now a much lighter blue, while Raticate's fur had seemed to pick up an orange tint to it. Their bodies shinied as they coughed, now free from their restraints.

Kiai gently lifted Raticate into his arms. It seemed lifeless, almost as though it had lost its will. Kiai understood, and hugged it. "It's ok, Raticate.. we'll find a cure.. I promise." He grasped his pokéballs, and found his backpack and staff still lying on the floor. As he tucked his staff back into his backpack, the alarms blared again. Clearly, their escape had not gone unnoticed. Kiai shot a glance at Emily and yelled, "Run!" They both turned and ran out of the room, and down the passage they came in.

The two quickly made their way down the passage. "It's all so different," Emily spoke to Kiai. "I don't remember any of this in my dream..." she looked forward. "Maybe that's good." The two quickly came to a halt, though, as their exit was blocked. In front of them were two, double sized Onix, gold in color. "Pokérus Onix!" she shouted, turning around. Two Rocket members were standing there, smirking. One had shoulder-length blue hair, and the other had really long, almost pink hair. The odd thing, however, was their white outfits.

"Hold it there," the male spoke. "You're not getting away from us."

Emily put her hand to her chin. "You two...look familiar..." she thought. "Jessie and James!" she then shouted, then got a questioning look on her face. "Weren't you two chasing Ash for the longest time?" Jessie growled.

James smirked and closed his eyes smugly. "It's true, we were chasing that little twerp and his Pikachu for too long, but our vast success beforehand has earned us a well-deserved promotion to this secret base." It was obvious by the tone in his voice, and the rubber cleaning gloves on his hands, that by "promoted" he meant "demoted."

Jessie smirked; she too had cleaning gloves on; and nodded. "Yes, we're far too talented for that boy. And now, we're going to redeem ourselves," she spoke, blatantly ignorant of what she had just admitted to, "by re-capturing you two brats and stealing your Pokémon!"

Emily had to laugh a little. "Well, I'm not surprised you're here...after all the trouble you had with Ash...I mean...what...five entirely different regions, and you couldn't capture any of his Pokémon? At least the other Rocket members have some luck." She shrugged. "Oh well," she spoke, then turned to Shellshocker. "Shellshocker, take care of those Onix." Shellshocker nodded, then turned to look at the Onix behind him. He was ready for battle.

Emily looked to her hands, then up at Jessie and James. "So, what Pokémon do you have now?" she asked.

Jessie growled a little. "Little brat," she pulled out a pokéball and tossed it. "Go, Ekans!" Ekans popped out of the pokéball and Emily laughed.

"And what do you have, Koffing?" Emily asked and James growled as he did, in fact, release a Koffing. "Back to your original originals now. How funny. Your boss must have really been mad at you."

Jessies eyebrow twitched in frustration, but she put her hand up to her mouth and laughed, "Oh ho ho! Very cute, little girl. We just decided to get back to our roots! Go Ekans! Use your Poison Sting!"

"You too, Koffing, use your Smog attack!" shouted James. Ekans lept forward while Koffing floated around, releasing billowing clouds of black smoke.

Kiai released Spearow while shouting, "Raticate, Quick Attack Ekans! And Spearow, Gust!"

Raticate leapt at the Ekans hitting it hard. Spearow blew up a powerful gust, and being so confined in the small space, the pressure built until Jessie, James, Koffing and Ekans flew out of the cave like a bullet, disappearing into the blue sky, shouting faintly, "Team Rocket is blasting off agaaaiiiinnn!!"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Those two should honestly just give up..." She shrugged. "Oh well, at least-" her sentence was cut off when a long, stone body wrapped around her and pulled her into the cave. It began to crush her, and when Kiai turned around, he found a third, golden Onix waiting for them.

"Enjoying my Onix?" a voice asked, and from the shadows came a Rocket member. His outfit was stone colored, and so was his hair. "All three of these Onix belong to me, you aren't getting out of here alive." Emily struggled, and even attempted to use her powers, but with so little breathe, and being held by a rock Pokémon, her attack did nothing. "If you want her alive, you'll come with me."

Kiai reached into his pocket and pulled out his pokéballs, dropping them to the floor. He was surrendering. The man grinned. Another one of the Onixs reached over and grabbed Kiai. The one gripping Emily loosened his grip, so he wasn't squeezing her to death. The two were dragged off and the man laughed. "Bosses' orders are the pit," he spoke to the third Onix. It roared and rushed forward, passing the others. The two then began to follow the third. "Oh, how I love the pit," he spoke, laughing. "As for you," he spoke, turning to Raticate and Shellshocker who were still standing there. "You are mine," he spoke. A net dropped onto them and he walked over, grabbing it and pulling them along.

It took a minute or so, but soon the Onixs had reached the end of a long path, which leaded into a large room. The stretched out their tails, and dropped Emily and Kiai to the ground, allowing them to fall a short distance before hitting the ground. The Onix moved, and the only way out shut. "I don't know how you escaped, but you won't escape here," the boss spoke. "This time, I'll stick around and watch." He touched a button on the wall, and the ground seemed to lower, leaving Kiai and Emily in a deep pit now. The boss stood at the top and looked down, smirking. "No escape," he spoke, snapping his fingers. A loud noise was heard, almost like the opening of a gate. Suddenly, a rather large Kabutops jumped down into the pit and snarled.

Kiai stood in front of Emily and backed away slowly. He had experienced the power of a Kabutops first-hand, and he had no desire to try to attack it himself. A number of possibilities ran through his mind, each one more impossible than the last. His heart was beating fast as the Kabutops loomed over them, readying its massive claws for the final blow.

Emily bit her lip. She remembered what happened in her dream, and she wanted to make sure it didn't happen now. She rose her hands forward and breathed in. Energy coursed through her body as she quickly moved from behind Kiai. Her eyes shut tight as she seemed to build up her power, before finally unleashing it as a huge bolt of lightning at Kabutops. "Thunder!" she shouted as it launched off, striking Kabutops hard. It growled a little, being a ground type it was mostly unaffected, but being part water, it also wasn't immune to the attack. Soon, it found itself on the ground, unable to move. The lightning was still flying from Emily's hands, and she was growing weaker by the moment. She didn't want to stop, she couldn't stop, not until she was certain her dream wouldn't come true.

Kiai watched as the Kabutops and Emily steadily grew weaker, both fighting as hard as they could. Kiai felt helpless, until he had an idea. He grabbed at Emilys belt and pulled off an empty pokéball, then threw it at the Kabutops. The pokéball sucked it in, and Emily collapsed in Kiai's arms. The pokéball wobbled, and Kiai stared at it intently. He couldn't afford to lose Emily, not here, not now.. not ever.

The pokéball locked, the light fading from it. "What?!" the boss shouted. "What just happened?"

Emily groaned as she looked up at Kiai and smiled. "Thank you, Kiai," she spoke, before falling unconscious.

"Rockets, get in here and take these two to a holding cell of some kind. We'll get to the bottom of this." The floor rose, and Rocket members rushed in and took Kiai and Emily off to a cell, tossing them in. Kiai looked out, but then back to Emily. He only cared that he was with her. He knew they would escape somehow, but right now Emily needed rest.

Kiai laid down on the cold stone floor, propping Emily's head up against his arm and lying close to her to offer what little warmth he could. He couldn't understand how Emily became what she was, but as he watched her resting beside him, he could only see the girl he had grown to love. He held her tired body close to his, and waited, wondering what Team Rocket would do to her now that they knew what she could do.

Emily gave a groan as she shifted. "Mew," the familiar voice of Mew spoke. Mew then appeared on the other side of the cell. It looked in at them, staring at them for a moment, then something amazing happened. Mew closed its eyes and glowed brightly, its form seemed to shift and change, and soon, Mew was no longer there, but instead, a large, black Charizard stood there. It breathed in, then out, unleashing a large flamethrower at the cage. It blasted a large hole in the cage, leaving Emily and Kiai and escape route. Mew gave them a look that seemed to say "follow me" and it turned, changing form once more. Soon, a small, much pinker, Clefairy was left standing there. It began to walk off, its eyes looking each way.

Kiai stood up and helped Emily to her feet. She was still very tired, so Kiai helped her onto his back and he carried her across the cell. Once out of the cell, and aided by the small Mew-turned-Clefairy giving off a faint glow, he noticed that they were in what seemed to be the basement of the facility. There was machinery everywhere, running noisily, and cobwebs and dust in every corner. There was little room to move, and Kiai did the best he could to keep up with the energetic Mew-turned-Clefairy, even with Emily on his back.

"Clefairy," Mew spoke, turning to look back, making sure Kiai was still there. After a moment, it switched to its normal Mew form and floated in the air a moment. "Mew," it spoke, then looked forward. It flew forward a bit, stopping after a moment. "Mew!" it spoke.

"Escaping?" a familiar voice spoke. "I don't think so." From the other side of the room, the boss appeared, an evil smirk on his face. No longer covered by light, his face was now visible, and now they were able to see who it was.

"Giovanni?" Emily spoke weakly. "You're the leader?"

"Yes," Giovanni spoke. "I am the leader of Team Rocket, but you won't make it out of here to let anyone know."

"Mew!" Mew shouted, and Giovanni's attention turned, now seeing the Mew.

"Mew?" Giovanni asked. "So, if you are here...then where is my creation?"

"Mew!" Mew shouted, holding its arms out, as if trying to say Giovanni's creation wasn't with it.

"Wait.. Giovanni.." spoke Kiai, "Aren't you the leader of the Viridian City gym? When word of this gets out, you're going to be shut down for good, old man. The only Pokémon you'll ever get close to is when you're cleaning up Tauros droppings."

Giovanni turned back to Kiai and Emily. "That's why you'll never make it out of here to let anyone know," he spoke. He drew a pokéball from his hand and tossed it forward. "Go, Rhydon!" he shouted, and a rather large, light brown Rhydon appeared in front of them.

"A Pokérus Rhydon..." Emily spoke weakly again, then winced.

"Rhydon, Megahorn!" Rhydon rushed forward, its large horn aimed forward. Mew quickly jumped in the way, a large wall of light appeared between it and Rhydon. When Rhydon struck it, Mew pushed against it, and forced Rhydon back, crashing to the ground. Giovanni growled. "Mew...I'll destroy you!" Giovanni reached down, grabbing every pokéball on his belt, and unleashing the Pokémon within. Another Rhydon, a Nidoking that was the same color as a Nidoqueen, a Nidoqueen that was dark, almost black, a Persian that was a brighter white color, and a rather large Umbreon that had purple rings instead of gold, now stood before them.

The first Rhydon stood back to its feet and roared loudly. Six Pokémon against a single Mew, they all rushed forward. Mew closed its eyes, changing form once more. It changed into the form of a large bird, gold in color, and it shined like a rainbow. It gave a roar, and opened its eyes. It had transformed into the mystic Pokémon, Ho-oh. It opened its mouth, and a large ball of flame appeared in its beak. A moment later, the ball shot forward, striking all six of the Pokémon, instantly knocking out each and every one of them. It flapped its wings, knocking Giovanni to the ground, then quickly tossed Kiai and Emily onto its back as it looked up, releasing another huge blast of fire into the ceiling.

As the cave began to collapse, a hole appeared at the top, which Mew quickly flew up into, then out of Mt. Moon. It gave a loud caw, then set them down on the ground, turning back to watch the peak of Mt. Moon collapse in on itself. It cawed again, set Kiai and Emily down, then transformed into its Mew form once more.

Kiai once again helped Emily to her feet. She seemed stronger now, perhaps due to the rush of adrenaline after what had just occurred. Kiai himself couldn't stop his heart from pounding. He stared at the Mew, small and white with large, friendly, inquisitive eyes. Seeing the destruction something so small had caused, Kiai couldn't help but wonder if it was a ticking time bomb or an innocent kitten. He shook his head slightly, trying to convince, perhaps, that it was simply a dream, if only to eliminate the need to think about it. He bowed low to Mew, and spoke, "I don't know what you are.. or why you've chosen us.. but thank you."

"Mew," Mew spoke, then looked at Emily. She was now leaned against Kiai. Mew floated over to Emily and touched her forehead. Emily's eyes seemed to glow blank as Mew's eyes glowed. It took only a single moment, though it felt like forever to Emily, Mew's hand moved away, and their eyes both returned to normal. Emily collapsed to her knees. The look on her face showed that she had just been shown something terrible.

"So...that's what I am..." Emily spoke. She closed her eyes tight, her mind going through all the visions she had just been shown. She looked frightened, and almost hopeless.

Kiai knelt down next to her and put his arm around her. To him, it looked like she had just woken up from another nightmare, but this time, much worse. He looked up at Mew, but was offered no sympathy. He reached down and grasped Emily's hand, and spoke, "Whatever it is.. I will never leave your side, Emily! Never!"

Emily looked up at Kiai. She seemed to stare at him with an almost curious look. She couldn't seem to understand how he could love someone like her. She buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around him. "Your so sweet," she spoke. "I don't deserve you."

"Mew," Mew spoke once more. Emily turned and looked up at Mew. "Mew mew mew, mew mew."

Emily nodded, then looked up at Kiai. "Would you like to be able to understand Pokémon?"

"Understand.. Pokémon? You mean.. be able to understand what they're saying?" Kiai looked between Emily and Mew inquisitively. Such a talent.. it would be a shame to waste it.. yet.. he thought of how sad Raticate looked when it caught the Pokérus. He wondered himself if he would be any better for accepting something that no one else had. He looked at Mew and smiled, then shook his head. "No.. I need to do this on my own. But, thank you."

"Mew," Mew nodded. "Mew mew." Mew waved, then turned and flew off. Emily closed her eyes and leaned against Kiai again.

"I understand now..." she looked down at her hands. "I'm not human..." she spoke. "I'm a creation of humans. A group of scientists came to a woman whose daughter was dying...they said they might be able to preserve her...the woman loved her daughter and wanted to see her alive, so she agreed. They took DNA from the child, and created a clone. After three failed attempts, they tried something more. They added Pokémon DNA into the mix, and the clone survived. They ran some tests, and they thought all was fine, until they discovered the clone had the ability to use Pokémon powers. The project was then thought to have been scrapped...but one of the scientists took the clone, erased her memory, and gave her to someone else." She looked up at Kiai. "That clone...she slowly got older..." she then looked down. "Now...you're in love with that clone..."

Kiai shook his head. "I'm in love with you.. not some clone." He curled his finger under Emily's chin and tilted her face toward his, where he placed his lips on hers and gave her a soft, long kiss.

Emily closed her eyes and returned the kiss. After a moment, she pulled from the kiss and looked at him. "Thank you, my love." She hugged him tight. "I love you so much." Suddenly, light appeared, and two belts appeared. They were Kiai and Emily's belts. Another flash, and Raticate and Shellshocker appeared. Raticate's fur seemed to be slowly returning to normal, but Shellshocker was still as shiny as ever.

"Squirtle..." Shellshocker spoke. "Squirtle squirt."

"Raticate," Raticate spoke.

Emily blinked. "So that's it then..." she looked up at Kiai. "They said that Raticate wasn't infected with enough of the Pokérus to make it permanent...in about a day, he'll be back to normal...but Shellshocker..." she looked down. "He was the first one to get infected...and won't be normal until a cure is found..."

Raticate jumped into Kiais arms gleefully exclaiming "RRRATICATE!" Either from his energy or the lingering Pokérus, Kiai got the wind knocked out of him and thrown onto his back, where Raticate nuzzled him gleefully.

Kiai hugged back, and spoke, "I missed you too, buddy!"

Emily smiled. Shellshocker rushed to Emily's side and hugged her. "Shellshocker, I'm so happy to see you." She hugged him, then looked at Kiai. "At least everyone is okay, and Mew got our Pokémon back." She looked down at her hands once more. "And now...I know what this is...and those memories Mew showed me...they taught me how to control this..." She rose her hand up, aimed at nothing in particular. Energy began to surge through her arm. "Thundershock!" she shouted. A blast of lightning skipped off her hand and off, striking the ground nearby. She gripped her hand tight. "It hurts some...and it will take some getting used to...but it might come in handy..."

Kiai stared at the spot of scorched earth from the bolt of thunder that Emily called upon. He simply couldn't believe it. For a moment, he felt small and very unimportant compared to her. At that moment, Raticate twitched in his arms, and he realized something. They each had their own destiny, and while they will face them together, they were unique and separate.

Emily looked to Kiai, then leaned against him. The sky was beginning to grow dark, and she closed her eyes. "Let's rest here. Tomorrow we'll go to Cerulean."

Kiai wrapped his arms around Emily once more and held her close. He kissed her nose, and looked deep into her eyes, as the last light of day reflected off of them. "I love you, Emily.." he spoke.

"I love you, too, Kiai," she spoke. "I really don't deserve you." She hugged him tight.

"Nor I you.." Kiai whispered, so low that Emily couldn't really make out what he said. Emily kissed him, then stood to her feet. She pulled off her clothes, then reached into her backpack and pulled out her pajamas. She pulled them on, then looked to Kiai. He quickly changed and pulled out his sleeping bag. Emily sat down on it, and Kiai went off for some firewood. After a few moments, he returned and built a fire. The two made some food, ate, then headed to bed, crawling into the sleeping bag together. Emily wrapped her arms around Kiai, laid her head on his chest, and fell asleep quickly.

Kiai spent a few more minutes staring at the sky, wondering what was to come in the near future. He soon turned, wrapping his arms around Emily, and feel asleep. Shellshocker and Raticate curled up next to each other as well, soon falling asleep. The night went by uneventfully now that Mew was no longer putting nightmares into Emily's mind.


	10. The Return of Michelle

**Chapter 10: Return of Michelle**

Emily and Kiai awoke the next morning, closer than they were at the start of the night. Their legs were wrapped up in each other, and they were both locked in an embrace. When Kiai opened his eyes, he found he was staring at Emily's closed eyes, they were nose to nose. Kiai didn't even move, hoping that their closeness would last forever. Emily soon woke up, and turned a bit to her side. Unwilling to disturb her, Kiai loosened his grasp, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Emily groaned a little and stretched. She looked over at Kiai and smiled. "Hello, my love," she spoke and kissed him.

Kiai smiled back, and pulled her close to him, sinking into her kiss. "Good morning," he spoke.

Emily carefully slid herself out of their sleeping bag. She stood to her feet and looked down. After a moment, she blushed a little, realizing her current position. She was standing, while Kiai was laying down, his head almost directly underneath her. The two didn't move for a moment, and Emily finally spoke. "Enjoying your view up my skirt?"

Kiai grinned a large, broad grin and simply nodded. Within the sleeping bag, Emily could see his hands moving down below his waist. Emily giggled a little. After a moment, she moved away from him, pulling off her pajamas. She changed into her halter top and skirt, then looked back at Kiai. "Well, don't just lay there all day."

Emily could see his hand moving up and down under the sleeping bag. "Right, be with you in a minute." Emily shot him a glare, and he laughed, then slipped out of the sleeping bag. He was completely unable to hide what he had, even if he was joking about what he was doing. He slipped into his shorts and pulled on a t-shirt, then rolled his sleeping bag up and stuffed it inside his backpack. They cooked some breakfast in the embers of the fire, and as they were eating, Kiai spoke, "So, Cerulean City next. I take it you're eager to try your luck there?" There was a hint in Kiai's voice that suggested that the past night was best not dwelled on.

"Oh, yes. It's a water gym, and since I use all water Pokemon, I figure it will be rather interesting, and quite difficult. I just hope two pokemon will be enough, as I don't have any others...other then Venonat..." she seemed to give a glare at the fourth pokeball on her belt. "I'm too afraid to use Kabutops..."

"You'll get more." Kiai spoke, and for a brief moment he wondered if Emily herself could fight in her pokemon's place. "Still though, I'd like to see how you fare. You'll have to use your water pokemon to the best of their ability, using the swimming pool just like the Onyx used the stone gym. It will be decided on your ability to handle a water pokemon, and nothing more. You have your work cut out for you." Kiai spoke with a bit of confidence; he was much surer about this battle than he was at the Pewter Gym.

"True, and your free to use my Venonat if you think it might help..." Emily spoke that with a tone that seemed to be desperately asking Kiai to take the bug pokemon off her hands.

"Squirtle, squirt," Shellshocker spoke, stretching as he now awoke. His skin shined as he stood to his feet. Raticate had been fully healed of the pokerus over the night, leaving only Emily's pokemon as the infected ones.

Kiai grinned.. it was a rare moment. "Oh no!" he spoke, full of life, "Venonat is all yours! You caught it fair and square, and now you get to train with it for the rest of your life!!" He grinned manically, but his eyes glinted as he looked at her. He was always one to joke, after all.

Emily just gave him a glare. She then sighed. "You are right...I did catch it...but only because you said to..." She then shrugged. "Oh well." She turned, looking out in the direction of Cerulean City.

"You'll do fine, don't worry." He smiled warmly at her. "And besides, there's still a long road left before we get there, plus a few good training areas. If Mt. Moon hadn't collapsed, we could have gone back there for training." Kiai finished eating, and began cleaning up the campsite. He was beginning to get excited again, and was already developing a strategy for his next challenge.

"That's also true. There is a bit of a road still before we get there." Emily stood to her feet and turned. She looked forward, seeing a small stream that went off into the distance. She walked over to it and smiled as she knelt down. She looked into it, noticing some small pokemon swimming around inside. "Water pokemon are wonderful." Suddenly, a Magikarp jumped out of the water and flopped onto the shore. She blinked as it jumped around. "Err..." she pulled out her pokedex and pointed it at the Magikarp.

"Magikarp, the fish pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Magikarp is virtually useless in battle as it can only splash around. As a result, it is considered to be weak. However, it is actually a very hardy pokemon that can survive in any body of water no matter how polluted it is."

"Virtually useless...?" Emily blinked.

Kiai scoffed. "Virtually useless.. yeah, for now. I know you're the water girl, but step aside, I've been waiting for one of these." Kiai drew a pokéball from his belt and shoved his hand into the water. Most of the fish and pokemon scattered, except for the few Magikarp, who seemed too dull to care. Kiai smacked his pokeball against one, and the pokéball absorbed it. Without even fidgeting, the light on the pokeball turned green. "Nice, you might want to get one too Emily." Kiai put the pokeball back on his belt, and waited to see if Emily would handle this situation different.

Emily blinked, then looked out to the Magikarp that was still flopping about on the land. "Pokéball, go!" she shouted, tossing her pokéball at the Magikarp. It absorbed into it, and, like Kiai's, the pokemon was easily caught. She walked over and grabbed the pokeball, examining it. She pulled out her pokédex, then looked at Magikarp. "Magikarp...Magikarp..." she thought for a moment. "Magi!" she spoke, nodding. "So that makes Shellshocker, Goldy, Venonat...who I guess I should nickname at some point...Magi…and my Kabutops…which I don't know if I will nickname…since I still don't think I can even use it." She pushed a couple buttons on her pokedex and an image of Gyarados appeared on it.

"Gyarados, a fish pokemon. It has been given the classification of "atrocious". They are very wild and dangerous pokemon. When Magikarp evolves into Gyarados, its brain cells undergo a structural transformation. It is said that this transformation is to blame for this Pokemon's wildly violent nature."

"Wow..." Emily blinked. "Sounds...dangerous..."

Kiai grinned again. Emily knew he had been planning his pokemon adventure for a long time, and Gyarados was always a constant in his team. "Yeah.. violent.. but if it's obeying your orders.. I can't wait." Kiai hopped across the stream with a sharp gleam in his eye.

Emily nodded. "But they're so hard to train...you've got to be very careful when training them." She hopped across the stream as well, but lost her footing, falling backwards into the stream. She spit water out of her mouth as she sighed, the stream was deep enough to come to her neck in her current, mostly sitting, position. "Great, now I'm all wet..."

Kiai laughed and reached down to help Emily up. She stood up, dripping from head to toe. Her clothes, wet as well, clung to every crevice of her body. Kiai couldn't help but lower his hands to her slender waist as he stared into her eyes.

Emily stared into his eyes for a moment, then looked down at herself sighing. "I'll have to dry these..." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a towel, then pulled her clothes off until she was left naked. "No taking advantage of this situation," she spoke, giving a light glare at Kiai. She then set her clothes on a tree branch to dry, then grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself.

"Aww!" Kiai frowned, though he was still looking at Emily's body. Being in just a towel, he could easily make out the curves of her breasts and waist. He cleared his throat, and decided to start up a small fire to help dry her clothes. Gathering firewood, however, was partly just an excuse.

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke and Emily nodded.

"I'm okay, Shellshocker, thanks for the concern, though." Shellshocker quickly hopped over the stream, then stood next to Emily. "I'm just wet, so I'll be fine." Shellshocker nodded in response. He sat down next to her and she smiled, pulling the small, turtle pokemon up next to her. After a moment, Kiai had the small fire going, and Emily dropped the towel, letting her, now dry, body out. She laid back and looked up. "I've only been publicly naked like this once before...that I can remember anyway...hope no one comes by."

"Whoa!" a voice shouted from nearby and Emily turned, seeing a trainer nearby. She quickly pulled her towel back on.

Kiai sat up quickly and looked around. "Who's there?" he shouted. For a moment, he was hoping against hope that it was just a random passerby, who had shouted at an unrelated but ironically coincidental moment.

The trainer now came into view. It was Michelle, the third choice from Pallet Town. Emily gave a relaxed sigh at this. Michelle was one of her best friends. Michelle was blushing. "I'm sorry...did I disturb something?"

Emily shook her head. "No...I fell in the stream and so I'm letting my clothes dry."

Kiai sat back down. He knew Michelle as well, though he was never as close as her and Emily. He threw a few more sticks onto the fire and scooted over, giving Michelle a place to sit down. "So, how is your pokemon adventure going, little one?" he spoke. Michelle smiled sheepishly; "Little one" was Kiai's pet name for her, as she had always been small for her age. She sat down next to them, and Kiai could see her eyes had changed a lot in even the short amount of time since they all parted.

"It's been going good.." Michelle spoke, but trailed off as she stared into the fire.

Emily blinked. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You don't sound happy..."

Michelle looked up, then looked back down. She pulled out a pokeball and stared at it. "It's the Charmander I got from Professor Oak...you see...I was going to Cerulean City...and I met this trainer. He was weird...he wore this red uniform and said he was from Team Rocket...I beat him easily..." Emily looked to Kiai and they both nodded. It had to be Zachary.

"Then what?" Emily asked.

"Charmander evolved..." she looked down. "And now...it won't obey a single thing I say..."

"Charmeleon is one of the toughest pokemon to train.. and it only gets worse when it evolves into Charizard. You've always been a soft one, Michelle. Being like that will not earn Charmeleon's respect and obedience. You will have to display stronger qualities than you've ever imagined you had." Kiai reached up and rubbed her back, "But it's ok, you've come this far. I have faith in you, little one. I know you can do it." He smiled warmly, and Michelle smiled back, although far from convinced.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. You'll be fine, Michelle. As your pokemon progresses, you'll have to get stronger and tougher. Charmeleon doesn't like weak, soft people, and neither does Charizard. Remember when Charizard fell asleep on Ash during the Pokemon League Tournaments just because it thought the Pikachu he was facing was a weakling? It's because Ash wasn't tough with it, and because Charizard thinks weaklings are worthless. If you want it to obey, you'll have to be tough." Emily smiled. "Just remember that, and you'll be fine."

Michelle nodded. "Ok, thanks..." she sighed again. "I'm also having trouble catching any pokemon...I caught two right out of Pallet Town...and then..." she looked at her belt. "I don't know...I just...haven't been able to catch anything else..."

Kiai shot a glance at Emily. "Which ones have you caught? You know, bug pokemon are the easiest to start off with." He shot another glance at Emily, then looked at the pokeballs on her belt, hanging from the tree branch, and she understood what he meant with the emphasis on "bug pokemon". "Also, you can use the pokemon you already caught to weaken them enough to catch them, and the battle wouldn't be very hard, since they have limited attacks. Just read up on every pokemon you come across. Learn everything about it before you capture it, and even more about it once you decide to train it. So cheer up.. I think things are going to be looking up for you very soon!"

"Maybe..." Michelle spoke. "Right now...all I have is Charmeleon, Rattata..." she paused for a moment and giggled. "Your starter was Rattata, too, wasn't it?" she asked Kiai, though she really wasn't looking for an answer. She then thought again. "I also have a Pidgeotto. I caught Pidgey and it evolved while fighting Slate..." She winced a little. "Slate...he was hard...he totally wiped me out...I haven't got a single badge yet because of that…"

"Want another Pokemon?" Emily asked. She stood to her feet and grabbed Venonat's pokeball off of her belt. "I caught a Venonat in the forest if you want it."

"I thought you were afraid of bug pokemon, though," Michelle spoke.

"I am..." Emily spoke, looking away. "I caught it because somebody," and she put the emphasis on "somebody", "was all 'You fought it, you catch it. Being a Pokemon Master means you have to catch them all.'" She gave a light glare at Kiai as she spoke the last part. Michelle giggled a little.

"You two are so funny," Michelle spoke. She stood up and stared at the pokéball in Emily's hands. "Are you sure about this?" Michelle asked.

Emily nodded. "I'm sure." Emily then tossed the pokeball to the ground, releasing the Venonat for the first time since its capture. This time, however, it came out in a blue color, signifying she was letting the pokemon go. "Venonat," the pokemon spoke.

"It's so cute, thank you, Emily." Michelle hugged Emily, then tossed her own pokéball at Venonat. The pokemon was quick to capture, and Michelle smiled. "I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"I know you will," Emily spoke.

"Thank you, both of you," Michelle spoke. "You've both been so nice to me."

Kiai smiled up at her. "I expect to fight a very powerful Venomoth in the final round before I become a pokemon master, Michelle!" He gave her a wink, and she blushed.

"I'll do my best, Kiai." Michelle spoke.

Emily hugged Michelle once more, letting go of her towel to do so, allowing it to fall to the ground. "Stay safe, and if you ever run into Team Rocket again, let us know. You have my pokegear number, right?"

Michelle nodded. "Yeah."

"Ok, cause we've had some run-ins with Team Rocket...big ones, so we're willing to help you out."

"Okay, thank you." Emily and Michelle hugged one more time, and Michelle gave Emily a kiss on the cheek, which caused her to blush a little. Michelle then turned and headed off, waving to them. Once she was out of ear shot, Emily sat down and looked to Kiai.

"I forgot she was bi..." Emily spoke. "I think she's even had a crush on me for a while…"

"Ahh.. you're right.." Kiai's eyes drifted into the trees, as he imagined the three of them together.. doing.. things.. he shook his head to shake off his daydreams, then caught Emily with no towel. "You know.. taking advantage of the situation is becoming harder and harder with you like that.." he spoke.

Emily giggled. "Well, this is a lesson in self-control then," she spoke as she laid back. "And...you can touch my breasts if you want, but no going below my waist right now."

Kiai crawled over to her.. unsure if he could keep that promise.. but he wanted to try anyway. He rested one hand on her breast; it was soft and warm. He caressed it gently, as his lips found her other breast. Things just seemed to escalate from there, until finally they were once again sharing a moment with each other. Michelle, not having been far off, heard the noise, and came back to see what was going on. It aroused her, and she soon found herself hiding in a nearby patch as she attempted to satisfy herself.

Moments later, Kiai and Emily finished, and before she could be noticed, Michelle rushed off. Emily then sat up, panting heavily. "That felt so good," she spoke. After some time of being separated, the two walked off to the river to bathe. By the time they came back, Emily's clothes had dried, and she got dressed again. Although much of the day was spent, they smiled at each other, and continued on towards Cerulean City and their second badge.


	11. Cerulean Gym Leaders Ash and Misty

**Chapter 11: Cerulean Gym Leaders Ash and Misty**

Two days soon passed; Emily and Kiai spent the time training their pokemon, while heading closer and closer to Cerulean City. Finally, the city was in view, and Emily smiled. "Just down this hill, and we'll be there," she spoke. "It looks so pretty."

Kiai looked out over Cerulean City. It sure lived up to its name, even at this distance. There seemed to be lakes and rivers everywhere, and most buildings and roofs were blue, making the entire city look like a small ocean. At the heart of the city, standing out amongst everything else, stood the high dome of Cerulean Gym. Kiai smiled as he breathed in deep; even the air had a hint of sea salt to it. He shot a glance at Emily. "Last one down's a rotten Executor!" he spoke, and ran wildly down the hill.

Emily giggled, then rushed forward. The two rushed down into the city below. Cerulean City was even bigger now that they were inside of the city. Emily looked around, smiling. "It's so big!" she spoke. "Third biggest in all of Kanto," a voice spoke. Emily looked forward, and her eyes shifted to an angry look. "Alex..." she spoke.

Kiai looked at him, then quickly looked away. "Oh.. is he still alive?" he spoke. He took out his pokedex and started punching away at the keys, bringing up some info on the Cerulean Gym and water pokemon.

For a moment, Alex's eye twitched in anger before he regained his cocksure composure. "So, come to earn a Cascade Badge? There's no way. You don't have any pokemon strong against water types, and this girl has nothing but water types." Alex placed the emphasis on "But". "You're both out of your league, and frankly I'm surprised you made it past Slate, being how weak you are." he spoke. This time, it was Kiai's turn to restrain a twitch.

Emily growled. "You...you bastard!" She brought her hand up to strike Alex, but he quickly blocked.

"Feh, pathetic," Alex spoke. "Weak as always, Emily. I remember when we used to fight when we were younger…I always started it, and you always lost." He pushed her hand away, then turned away from them. "Well, anyway, you won't be getting a badge here, even if you did have pokemon strong against water types."

Emily growled again. "And why is that? Because we're weak?" she asked.

Alex chuckled. "That, too, but the main reason is, the gym is closed. Haven't you heard? Ash Ketchum is here. As long as he's around, Misty, the Gym Leader, won't be battling." Alex laughed. "It's true love!" he spoke mockingly. With that, Alex felt a bolt of electricity strike him. When he turned around to see whose electric type had hit him, he saw nothing. "Err...what was that?"

Kiai threw a cautionary glance at Emily. She caught it, and Kiai shook his head very slightly. She understood that she should be careful with her powers. Kiai then turned to Alex and spoke, "Well, I'm sure they won't mind if we drop in and check things out for ourselves. I'm sure you just kicked the door down, then stormed off when you heard there was nothing to win. I better get down there and fix their door. I'm always cleaning up after you, Alex."

Enraged, Alex threw a punch at Kiai, who sidestepped and pressed his palm into Alex's chest; the result of which being that Alex fell to the ground in a heap, and Kiai was barely phased. Before he could get up, they heard Officer Jenny shouting from down the street a ways, "Hey! Break it up you two, no rough-housing!"

Alex stood up, spit at Kiai's feet, then leaned close and hissed, "You'll get yours, Kiai. I promise," then turned and stormed out of the city.

Officer Jenny stopped next to Kiai and Emily. "All right, now, what's going on here?" she asked.

"Nothing, now," Emily spoke. "It was just Alex...he's a jerk from Pallet Town...he's always caused us trouble..." she shrugged. "Oh well..." she then got an idea. "Hey, is it true that Ash Ketchum is here?"

Officer Jenny blinked. "Yeah, why?"

Emily's eyes went wide and she grabbed Kiai's arm. "Let's go!" she shouted, rushing off, pulling Kiai with her. At the speed she was running, it only took the two of them only a few minutes to get there. Emily pushed the doors open to the gym and looked around. It was dark, looking like no one was around. "Hello?" she called, but got no response.

Kiai tried his luck, and belted out a "HELLO?!!" at the top of his lungs.

Just after, there came a very, very annoyed "Pikachuuu!" Kiai had only a splintered second to turn his head to face the horror that was already arcing toward him. Moments later, he was a lump of charred flesh on the cold gym floor, twitching violently, and regretting ever being born.

Emily blinked at how Kiai had been shocked. She turned to the source of the electric attack, and from the shadows came Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash looked different then Emily remembered him. He was wearing a simple white shirt, along with a red jacket over it. He also wore a red hat that had a white pokeball symbol on it, along with a pair of blue jeans. His hands were in his pockets as he looked at Kiai and Emily. "Who are you?" he asked.

Emily rubbed the back of her head. "You probably don't remember...it's been three years, after all. My name is Emily Yamaki, and this is my boyfriend, Kiai." She waved to Kiai.

Ash blinked. "Oh! I remember you two, now!" he said, smiling, then blinked as he looked at Kiai. "Oops, sorry about that." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ash, who is it?" a female voice spoke.

"My friends, Emily and Kiai," Ash responded. From the shadows came a stunningly beautiful woman. She was at least seventeen now, and was fairly tall. She had orange hair that was tied up in a small Ponytail on the corner of her head, and she wore a simple black tube top and a pair of rather short, blue jeans. This was Misty, the Gym Leader.

"Oh? You've never told me about them," Misty spoke.

"Yeah...after not being home for so long, and having met so many people on my journey, I kind of forgot..." Ash spoke, rubbing the back of his neck again.

Kiai stood up and looked at Ash. He was older now, and his voice was deeper. Kiai had always respected him as a pokemon trainer, and now, more than ever. "We just heard from Alex that you guys weren't in business anymore. We were kind of hoping to pick up a Cascade Badge. Is it true that the gym is closed now?" Kiai spoke. In truth, he didn't care about the badge. It was enough just to see Ash again.

"Yeah, I closed down the gym since Ash is here," Misty spoke. "Since he usually arrived for a couple of days, then leaves, I didn't figure it would be a problem. Though Professor Oak wants to vote Ash in as secondary Gym Leader." She walked over and leaned against him.

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I don't know if I want to run a gym, but if they want me to, I always could." Ash then put his arm around Misty. "Since you guys are my friends, though, we'll give you a battle. Is that okay, Misty?"

Misty thought for a moment. "You two interested in a duel battle?" she asked. "You and Emily against me and Ash."

Emily's eyes went wide. "Oh, can we?" Emily asked, acting almost child-like as she tugged on Kiai's arm. "That would be so much fun!"

Kiai wobbled back and forth as Emily tugged on him. He stood dumbfounded. "Really..?" he managed to mutter, "A battle against.. Ash Ketchum? That's..." Kiai gritted his teeth with excitement, then burst forth, "You're on!"

Misty grinned. "All right, follow me." Misty turned and walked off. Ash turned and followed, and Kiai and Emily followed close behind that. They walked until they reached the large battle pool, and Misty turned for a moment. "I'd recommend putting on any swim suits you have," Misty spoke. "This is our battlefield. Ash and I will change and be back out in a moment." Ash and Misty headed off into a nearby room, leaving Kiai and Emily alone.

"This is going to be awesome!" Emily spoke and dropped her backpack. She opened it and looked inside, searching for her bathing suit. Kiai blushed, wondering what Emily would look like in a bathing suit. He, on the other hand, simply took of his shirt and kicked off his sandals. Emily pulled out a bikini from her bathing suit. She proceeded to strip down to nothing, then grabbing her bikini and put it on. She turned to Kiai and smiled as she stood there. "What do you think?"

"It's.. beautiful." he muttered, rudely gawking at Emily's body barely concealed in a few straps of cloth. He swallowed hard, thinking about all the things he would like to do with her. Suddenly, all the lights in the gym clicked on. Kiai and Emily both gasped as they saw the size of the gym. The pool itself was enormous, but there were seats lining the walls and great flat areas all around the pool. In the pool itself floated several multi-colored mats, buoyant enough for most pokemon to stand on. Ash, wearing simple red swim trunks, and Misty, wearing an elegant, sky blue, strapless bikini, emerged from the room and started walking down to the far end.

Misty, being the leader, called out to Kiai and Emily, saying "This will be a three-on-three battle, and we aren't going to hold back!"

"Three pokemon each, huh?" Emily smirked. "This should be very interesting, then." She looked to Shellshocker, who nodded. "Go, Shellshocker!" Shellshocker jumped into the pool and Misty and Ash both hopped onto a platform. Emily and Kiai did the same.

"Go, Staryu!" Misty shouted, tossing a pokeball out, releasing the star-like pokemon.

"Since this is an official gym battle, I'll use my water pokemon, too," Ash spoke. "Go, Poliwhirl!" he tossed a pokeball forth, releasing the blue pokemon. "Now, what will you bring out, Kiai?"

Kiai grinned. He had picked up some slack in the few days before they got to Cerulean, and knew exactly who he would start with. He drew a pokeball from his belt and tossed it, "I choose you, Butterfree!" A shiny blue Butterfree emerged from his pokeball. It was still somewhat small, having only evolved that very day. Ash looked at it, and his face softened, remembering his own first days as a pokemon trainer.

"Butterfree and Squirtle...I remember when I had both of those," Ash spoke, then grinned. "And that will make this all the more interesting. Poliwhirl, use Water Gun on Butterfree!"

"Staryu, use Tackle on that Squritle!" Misty shouted. Poliwhirl and Staryu both rushed forward. Staryu began to spin quickly shooting across the water at Shellshocker.

"Dodge it!" Emily shouted, and Shellshocker quickly dived under the water. Staryu missed, but quickly turned around, shooting back down at Shellshocker, who quickly swam off, and the two began an underwater battle.

"Butterfree! Dodge!" shouted Kiai, but the young Butterfree got hit full on. Kiai bit his lip, then had an idea. He leaned over to Emily and whispered, "Call Shellshocker out of the pool, now!"

Emily called out, "Shellshocker, out of the water, quick!" Shellshocker quickly leapt out of the pool onto a mat.

Kiai shouted, "Now Butterfree, use Supersonic on Poliwhirl!"

Butterfree spoke a high-pitched trill, "Freeee!" and the water in the pool seemed to shiver. Poliwhirl leapt up and started rushing at Staryu, which easily leapt out of the way.

Ash gasped, as his eyes went wide. "Using the water to spread the vibration and increase the intensity.. brilliant!"

"Awesome, Kiai!" Emily shouted.

"Poliwhirl, stop attacking Staryu and use Double Slap on that Squirtle!" Poliwhirl hopped down onto a platform and shook its head a moment. Once its confusion was gone, it rushed forward at Shellshocker, striking it hard with a Double Slap attack. The attack knocked Squirtle into the water.

"Staryu, Rapid Spin the Butterfree!" Staryu quickly began to spin again, this time faster then before. It dashed out of the water, flying straight at Butterfree, striking it hard. It wasn't enough to knock it out, though, as Staryu came down, landing on a platform.

"Quick Butterfree, use Sleep Powder on Staryu!" Butterfree swooped over Staryu, spreading small sprinklings of blue powder. Staryu doubled over, nearly falling asleep. Ash and Misty exchanged smiles, recollecting when Ash tried the same trick.

Kiai hissed to Emily, "Nows your chance!"

Emily shouted, "Shellshocker, Headbutt!"

Shellshocker flew out of the water head-first, with a fierce "Squiirrrrrrttle!!" and hit Staryu dead-center, sending it flying across the gym and into the rear wall.

Ash gave a chuckle. "Sleep Powder," he spoke. "It didn't work for me, but then, I didn't attack directly after either."

Misty hopped over to her Staryu, whose center gym was now flashing, meaning it was low on energy. "You did good, Staryu," she spoke. "Return." She zapped the Staryu back into its pokeball, then hopped over to the platform again. She pulled out another pokeball and tossed it forward. "You may have beaten Staryu, but you won't beat Starmie! Go!" The pokeball opened revealing the star-pokemon inside. This one looked like two purple stars put together. "This is the evolved form of Staryu."

"And I know when to call it quits." He held up a pokeball and shouted, "Nice job Butterfree, now return!" A red beam shot out as the pokeball absorbed Butterfree. Kiai hesitated as he grasped his next pokeball. He was really training it hard, but he couldn't seem to get it to evolve. Regardless, it had become stronger. "Spearow, show them what you can do!" Spearow emerged from its pokeball and took flight, immediately flying up into the highest parts of the gym.

"Spearow, huh? That reminds me of when I met Pikachu," Ash spoke. "It was about...30 of them that attacked me, I'm sure..." Ash shrugged. "Either way, this should be fun."

"Let's have fun," Misty spoke. "Thunder Wave, Starmie!" Starmie pulled itself back, then released a jolt of electricity out in a wave-like fashion, aimed for Shellshocker. The attack struck him, and he collapsed, paralyzed from the attack.

"Shellshocker!" Emily shouted. She jumped forward, grabbing him, then jumping back. She set him down, then held out another pokeball. "Go, Magi!" she shouted, tossing a pokeball forward. It struck the water and released the Magikarp.

"Magikarp?" Misty asked. "Must have some kind of strategy."

Ash looked up at Spearow. "Too high to attack..." Kiai whispered to Emily out of the corner of his lips, "Do you have a strategy?"

"Not really...I'd just rather not use Goldy if I can avoid it..." Emily whispered back to Kiai.

Misty thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Starmie, use Rapid Spin on that Magikarp!" Starmie hopped into the water and began to spin. It flew directly at Magikarp, and Emily bit her lip.

"Splash!" Emily shouted, giving out any thought she possibly could. Magikarp turned, waving its tail at Starmie to cause a splash of water, but it moved too late, causing its tail to hit Starmie. Luckily, the power of its tail managed to knock the star pokemon away and out of the water.

"Hya!" Starmie shouted.

"That...was kind of cool..." Emily spoke.

Kiai just stared, raising a brow as he watched. He was utterly confused by the situation. "That.. what?" Kiai stammered, then held his face in the palm of his hand. "Whatever! I don't care, it happened, that's that, moving along. Spearow, use Drill Peck on Poliwhirl!" Spearow divebombed Poliwhirl at a great speed, faster even than most evolved forms, and hit Poliwhirl hard; not enough to knock it out, but enough to injure it severely. Spearow immediately resumed a position high in the gym, a technique it learned after long hours training with Kiai.

Ash and Misty quickly gained their composure and got ready to battle again. "This should be interesting," Ash spoke. "Poliwhirl, use Double Slap on that Magikarp!"

"Starmie, you should be able to reach that Spearow with Rapid Spin!" Poliwhirl rushed into the water once again, diving down to where Magi was. It rushed over and began to slap it. Starmie flew into the air, spinning even faster then Staryu did. Using this attack, it was just barely able to get up where Spearow was, managing to barely graze against Spearow, not doing much damage, but it did do some. "Try a Water Gun!" Misty shouted, and Starmie turned to fire a Water Gun, but it had dropped too far down, and the attack missed. "Dang..." Misty spoke.

"Spearow, quick, Aerial Ace!" shouted Kiai, and Spearow darted down faster than the eye could see, hitting Starmie point-blank in mid-air, as it was falling. Starmie hit the surface of the water hard, causing a large splash. Spearow delayed a moment, then flew back up high.

Meanwhile, Poliwhirl swam in violent circles around Magikarp, slapping it everywhere, to which Magikarp responded, "Karp."

"Starmie, return!" Misty shouted, returning her knocked out Starmie to its pokeball. "Time for the last one. Go, Gyarados!" she shouted, tossing it out. It roared loudly.

"Try using Splash again!" Emily shouted at Magikarp, but the attack did nothing. "Dang...I was hoping for the same reaction as last time..." she pulled out her pokeball. "Magi, return!" she shouted, zapping Magi back into its pokeball. She sighed and pulled out her blue pokeball. "It's up to you now. Go, Goldy!" she shouted and tossed the pokeball forward. Goldy appeared fromt he pokeball and moved his hands into position, looking ready to fight.

"Wow! A golduck!" Misty shouted.

"Yeah, too bad your Psyduck never evolved, Misty," Ash spoke. Misty gave him an angry look.

"It doesn't matter, I'm perfectly happy with a Psyduck," Misty spoke, folding her arms below her chest and looking away.

"Better focus on the battle, though, Misty," Ash spoke

"Huh?" Misty turned back to the battle, just in time to watch as Gyarados was struck by a Hyper Beam attack from Goldy. It roared and turned back to look at the battle. "All right, no playing around. Gyarados, Use Hyper Beam on that Spearow!" Gyarados looked up and unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam up at Spearow. Spearow dodged easily.

"Aerial Ace!" Kiai shouted and Spearow quickly flew down, it flew directly next to Gyarados and Misty blinked.

"It missed?" Misty asked. Spearow then dived straight for Poliwhirl, striking it out quickly. "Oh!" she shouted. "Oh..." she then spoke. "Well, that means we're all down by one Pokemon."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, return Poliwhirl," he shouted. Ash returned his Poliwhirl, then tossed out another pokeball. "Go, Kingler!" Ash shouted, releasing the crab-like Pokemon. Kiai stood still and silent, analyzing the situation. Gyarados and Kingler both had very strong defenses and offenses, and were both in their element. There wasn't much a Spearow or Raticate could do to either of them. Before he had time to come up with a plan, Ash called out, "Kingler, use Bubble on that Spearow!" Kiai tilted his head, wondering how such a weak attack could harm Spearow, until he saw it; the ceiling filled with bubbles, and Spearow was forced to slow its flight and take dangerous evasive manuvers to avoid the randomly floating bubbles. In mere seconds, it began to get hit repeatedly.

"No! Spearow, blow them away with Gust!" Spearow cawed, and blew up a strong wind to blow away the bubbles. Kiai grit his teeth; attacks like that were the reason the name Ash Ketchum was so respected.

Ash smirked. "Very smart, Kiai, but there hasn't been a trainer here in Kanto that has beaten me since the Johto Leagues."

"Gyarados, use Dragon Rage on that Golduck!" Misty shouted. Gyarados inhaled, then launched out a blast of blue fire that shot off towards Goldy.

"Dodge it, Goldy!" Emily shouted, and Goldy jumped back quickly, just barely avoiding the attack. "Now, Goldy, Hyper Beam that Kingler!"

"Golduck!" Goldy shouted and put his hands to its forehead. It unleashed another Hyper Beam, this time aimed at Kingler.

"Kingler, Protect!" Ash shouted, and a barrier shot up around Kingler, just in time to completely block the attack. "Now, Kingler, respond back with your own Hyper Beam!" Kingler raised its claw and launched a Hyper Beam straight towards Golduck. Goldy couldn't move, after using so much energy on the Hyper Beam, and was struck by the attack, getting knocked back into the water.

"No, Goldy!" Emily shouted. "Goldy, re-" but before she could finish, something happened. Golduck jumped back up from the water, it's eyes red once more.

"Golduck!" it shouted.

"What's it doing?" Emily asked Kiai. Before Kiai responded, Goldy rose its hand into the air, then punched the water. As its hand came down, electricity shot through its hand, and struck the water. The attack quickly spread through the water electrifying all of the pokemon in the water. After a moment, Goldy collapsed, along with both Gyrados and Kingler.

"Impressive move...but Golducks can't learn Thunderpunch..." Ash spoke.

"Look at it, Ash," Misty spoke. "I think it has the pokerus."

Ash looked hard, then nodded. "I think so, too," Ash responded.

"Return!" Emily, Misty, and Ash all shouted, returning their pokemon.

"Just you and me now, Kiai," Ash spoke, looking to Kiai. "What do you say? Spearow looks weak. Want to end this with a one-on-one battle?"

Kiai looked up at Spearow. Having trained with it so much recently, he could tell it could go another few rounds. He looked back down at Ash, and saw him smiling. "Spearow.. return." Spearow returned to its pokeball, and Raticate, sitting eagerly on the sidelines, hopped onto the mat beside Kiai. "Yeah, get on in there, Raticate." Raticate lept in, landing on one of the mats near the center of the pool; quite a long jump.

Ash grinned, and shouted, "Pikachu.. Go!" Pikachu hopped from mat to mat, landing on one just in front of Raticate. Excited sparks flew from its red cheeks.

"Wow! You're fighting Ash's Pikachu!" Emily squeeled. "This is so cool!"

Misty gave a chuckle, then sat down on the platform. "Not much to do now but watch, I guess," she spoke. "Ash, don't lose to this guy."

"Who? Me? I never lose with Pikachu," Ash spoke.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Sure...that's the same thing you said when you battled that Graveler last year and got wiped out..."

"That was a rock pokemon, Misty, I had no chance against it," Ash quickly retorted.

"Oh, and there was the time with that Ninetales...that was a one shot lose for you, if I remember...and then there was-"

"Ok, ok, I get it," Ash quickly interrupted. Emily just giggled. "All right, Pikachu, let's do this."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu responded.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

"Pi...ka...CHU!" Pikachu shouted as it charged, then unleashed a large bolt of lightning out at Raticate.

Raticate didn't even try dodging. At this distance, it wouldn't have been possible. He took it full on, and stood tall and proud, haven taken one of the infamous Pikachu's thunderbolts. "Nicely done Raticate, now, hit back with Hyper Fang!" Raticate lept hard at Pikachu, pushing the mat into the water with a large splash. It clamped its jaws down hard on Pikachu, tackling it into the mat, then releasing it and bouncing off onto another. Raticate and Pikachu stared at each other, both impressed with each other's power. Kiai and Ash stared at each other, for the same reason.

"Amazing, Kiai, that Raticate is trained very well," Ash spoke. "Usually Raticate are weak, but the truth is, Rattata and Raticate are only as weak as they are trained. Being considered a runt of all pokemon by trainers, Raticate and Rattata rarely get trained well, and thus are weaklings. You, however, you must understand that. If you didn't, your Raticate surely wouldn't be as strong as it is."

Emily smiled. "Yeah, and it beat a Kabutops!" she blurted out.

Ash blinked. "It beat a Kabutops?" he asked. Now he was even more impressed. "Not even I have beaten a Kabutops. That means yours is extra special, Kiai." Ash looked down at Pikachu. "Let's give this everything we've got. Pikachu, charge 100,000 volts and use Thunder!" Pikachu closed its eyes as it began to charge an amount of energy few had ever seen a small pokemon charge before.

"Pi...ka...CHU!" it shouted as it launched off a large bolt of lightning up into the sky, then forward, aimed directly at Raticate.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang and don't let go!" Raticate lept at Pikachu for another bite, but this time grabbed on. Just as the attack landed, the Thunder hit them both, knocking them both off of the mat and into the water. Kiai grew afraid, and nearly jumped into the pool. "Raticate.." he spoke, softly.

Ash watched, then bit his lip. "Pikachu!" he shouted. After a moment, Pikachu floated up to the top. It's eyes were swirling, showing the Hyper Fang and the Thunder had knocked it out. Ash gave a half chuckle. "Well, at least he's okay, but what about Raticate?"

Suddenly, there was a splash of water as Raticate jumped out of the pool. It landed on the platform and smiled. "Raticate!" it spoke, then fell over. Ash laughed a little.

"That was awesome!" Emily spoke. Ash jumped into the pool and swam to his Pikachu, picking it up.

"You okay, buddy?" Pikachu gave a nod, then laid back and relaxed in Ash's arms.

"So, who won?" Misty asked.

"I'll tell you what," Ash spoke as he climbed out of the water and watched Kiai rush to Raticate's side. "It doesn't matter. For a truly amazing battle, I think Kiai and Emily deserve a badge, regardless of whether they won or not."

Misty nodded in agreement. "It sounds fine to me," Misty responded. "Seel!" Misty shouted. A seel slowly made its way to pool, where it jumped in and dashed across to Misty. Misty took two Cascade Badges from its mouth, then hopped over the platforms, handing one to Kiai, then hopping over to Emily, handing her the other one. "A truly amazing battle, you both deserve it," she spoke. She then hopped over to the side of the pool, where Ash was.

Kiai grinned wide, then wrapped his arms around Emily, exclaiming, "We did it!" He was so happy that he accidentally kicked the mat out from under them, and they both fell into the pool.

"Ack!" Emily shouted before hitting the water. The two surfaced and laughed. "Good thing we are wearing our bathing suits..." Emily spoke. She hopped out of the pool and looked at Misty. She went to speak, but closed her mouth when she noticed Ash and Misty moving into an embrace which followed with a deep and passionate kiss. Emily smiled and gave a happy sigh.

Kiai swam back with an exhausted Raticate on his back, and placed it gently at the edge of the pool, then pulled himself out. He looked at Emily to say something, then saw where she was looking. He smiled, and leaned toward her to playfully kiss her neck. Emily giggled and looked to Kiai, then back at Ash and Misty. She put her hands behind her back and leaned against Kiai. "They're so cute together," she spoke in a low voice. "Do we look that good together?"

"Hmm.." Kiai stood still in contemplation, then spoke, "Who cares?" He nudged his shoulder up, pushing Emily away ever so slightly, then slipping out of the way, causing Emily to fall into his arms, where he caught her, then bent down to kiss her lips. Emily giggled and kissed Kiai. After a moment, both groups broke from their kisses and looked to each other.

"I have to say it again, that was a great battle," Misty spoke.

"Yeah, it was really great," Ash spoke, smiling. "I'll be in Kanto for a while, so maybe I'll see both of you again."

Emily smiled. "Yeah, maybe," she spoke, nodding. She turned to walk off, then stopped. "Hey, Ash, you've been adventuring for a while...know anything about the pokerus?" Emily asked as she turned back to look at her.

Ash blinked. "Not a lot...I know about what everyone knows...that they are tiny microscopic creatures that settle in the bloodstream of pokemon and change them."

Emily looked down. "Oh...ok..." she sighed.

Kiai walked up to Ash, and shook his hand. "Thank you, Ash. You're an inspiration. I really have a lot to live up to."

Ash smiled, and spoke, "You aren't so bad yourself. If you stay at this pace, you'll be a pokemon master in no time." Kiai and Emily walked out of the doors of Cerulean Gym, waving to Ash, Misty and Pikachu. The bright mid-day sun reflected off of their new badges, pinned onto their shirts. For both of them, however, it was something more than a pokemon badge. It was a symbol of achievement, having bested the best in a true and fair fight. For Kiai, it was something more; it was a chance to see a really wonderful look on Alex's face next time they met.


	12. Lost on Route 6

**Chapter 12: Lost on Route 6**

Kiai and Emily continued their journey, heading from Cerulean City. They were on their way to Vermillion City. "I think...we're lost..." Emily spoke as she looked around. The grass was tall, coming up to about their knees. Trees were everywhere, and there was no end of them in sight. "Haven't we gone this way before?"

Kiai looked around. He usually had a good sense of direction, but only with landmarks. Everywhere there were trees and high grass, and there didn't seem to be any makings of a path or road. Kiai pulled out his compass and a map. "Lets see.." he spoke, carefully looking at the map, the compass, and his wristwatch. "We left Cerulean around mid-day.. heading somewhat south.. that puts us.. ... right in the middle of nowhere."

Emily sighed. "We wouldn't be lost if that guard in Saffron had let us through...but no, he was all 'Saffron City is closed right now, we can't let anyone through.'" She growled. "So we went around...and now look at what happens...we get lost...On top of that, my pokegear's battery is almost dead…and the map component on it isn't helping us either…"

"Best turn it off for now.. need to conserve what we have. Speaking of which.." Kiai looked in his backpack. He had stocked up on non-perishables before they left Cerulean, but they would no doubt be running low before they got to Vermillion. ".. we best go light on the rations for a while." Almost as if it was meant to be, the moment he finished speaking, his stomach growled.

Emily giggled, but nodded as well. She looked to her pokegear and pushed the button until the power menu came up. She then pushed the button, turning it off. "Well, hopefully that will help for now..." she spoke.

"In the meantime.. your guess is as good as mine as to what direction we should head." spoke Kiai, and he looked at Emily with a smile. Lost and alone in the wilderness, it had finally begun to feel like an adventure.

"Well...we know Vermillion is to the south. So my guess would be to go south...but that's all I really know..."

Kiai glanced up at the sun, then looked south. "I guess we should head that way, then." The two of them walked slowly through the high grass, making their way carefully south. After several more hours of walking, and seemingly no progress, the sun began to come down and the high boughs of the trees obscured what little moonlight remained. They decided to make camp next to a large oak tree, whose surface roots managed to clear a small area of grass, enough for them to sleep and make a fire.

Emily sighed as she sat down, putting her legs to the side, and resting her weight on her arm. "It seems like we would have encountered something by now..." she sighed.

Kiai passed Emily a biscuit and a tin of fruit. He only took a few pieces of bread for himself. They ate in silence, with Kiai staring at the fire. "You're right.. we should have come across something by now. Strange.. I haven't really heard any wildlife either." He looked up into the trees. Only a small handful of stars were peeking through the branches, and all around them slender moonbeams shot down like swords. While beautiful, the silence made them seem very cold and eerie.

Emily nodded. "I know what you mean..." Suddenly, there was a noise, and Emily jumped. She turned quickly, looking to where the noise had come from. From the grass and bushes nearby came a small horse. The horse was white in color, with red flames on its back. "Ponyta?" Emily asked. She pulled out her pokedex.

"Ponyta, the fire horse pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Its body is light, and its legs are incredibly powerful. It can clear Ayers Rock in one leap." Emily blinked and looked up at it. She then pushed a button on the pokedex. "Ponyta are not native to wild, grassy areas. They are usually found around mountains, volcanoes, and other hot places."

Emily blinked again. "So...why is it here?"

"That's a good question.." spoke Kiai, stepping forward. He looked carefully at the Ponyta. "Its coat is healthy.. and its fires are strong. I don't think this is a wild Ponyta." He looked around and listened carefully for anyone else who might be in the area, but heard nothing. "I wonder what we should do with it.. maybe we should take it back to Cerulean City and drop it off at the Pokemon Center."

Emily thought for a moment. "I'd say we could...but we're lost...and we don't know where we've gone, or how to get back to Cerulean City..." She sighed.

"Well.. I guess we can't go all the way back to Cerulean.. maybe we should-" Kiai was cut off by a rustling in the high grass.

Kiai and Emily hushed up, then suddenly a very small girl popped out. Upon seeing Ponyta, she rushed over and hugged its foreleg. "Ponyta!" she exclaimed, "Don't ever leave me again!" Kiai and Emily both looked at each other with very worried faces. A stray Ponyta in this remote area was one thing, but a girl, no more than 6 years old? Something was very wrong.

Emily turned to the girl and knelt down. "Hello, little girl," she spoke. "What's your name?"

The girl looked up at Emily and blinked. "My name is Jamie," she spoke.

"Jamie, huh? And where are you from?" Emily asked.

"Me and my sister are from a ranch near Vermillion City."

Emily blinked, then looked to Kiai. She was feeling a little better now. "Where is your sister?" she asked.

"Sissy!" Jamie shouted. From the tall grass came another woman. She was taller, and older. She had to be at least Emily's age, perhaps older. The odd thing was her outfit, which consisted of a bikini.

"You found it!" the woman spoke.

Emily blinked. "Hi," she spoke to the sister. "My name is Emily."

The sister looked over and saw them. "Oh, hi," she spoke somewhat coldly. "My name is Jessibell."

Emily stood to her feet. "Hello, Jessibell," she spoke. "Your Ponyta came running out of nowhere and came up to us. After that, your sister appeared, and we were a little worried..."

"Whatever...my sister can take care of herself..." Jessibell spoke rather coldly again. She looked to Jamie. "You better return it so it doesn't run away again," Jessibell spoke.

"Okay, sissy," Jamie spoke and pulled out a pokeball. "Ponyta, return!" she shouted, but Ponyta quickly kicked the pokeball out of Jamie's hand. Jamie grabbed her hand in pain.

"You good for nothing pokemon!" Jessibell shouted and hit the Ponyta.

"Stop it!" shouted Emily, pushing Jessibell away from the Ponyta. Kiai knelt down and gently took Jamie's hand to examine it. The damage wasn't severe, and though it would likely be bruised, there was nothing broken.

Jessibell glared at Emily. "How dare you.." she spoke.

Emily growled. "It's no wonder it ran away from you...you abuse it!" Emily shouted.

Jessibell growled. "I don't need you telling me how to raise my pokemon."

"Apparently you do, if you are treating them like that. Pokemon won't like you if you hit them all the time."

"Who cares if they like me? I'm their trainer, so they will do whatever I tell them to!"

Emily growled. "You wish," she spoke. "If you treat them with love and respect, they'll obey you."

Jessibell laughed. "Love and respect, huh?" Jessibell stood up, then gave a glare at Emily, grabbing her shirt and pulling her close. "Last time I treated a pokemon with love and respect, it was weak. It never won anything, always losing. When I treat my pokemon like this, they win me matches. Who cares if they like me? Pokemon are for battling!"

"You're wrong!" Emily shouted, pushing Jessibell down, but her grip on Emily's shirt didn't loosen, and as Jessibell fell, there was a loud "RIP!" noise, and Emily quickly covered her chest.

Kiai glared down at Jessibell. The pitch black night with the slender moonbeams made him seem very dark, and very dangerous. "If you wish to treat your pokemon this way, that is your decision. Harming your own pokemon is not uncommon. Putting your little sister in harm's way by doing so.. that's sickening. Abandon your pokemon if you must. Don't abandon your family." His voice was low and cold, and even Emily shivered just looking at him.

Jessibell growled at him, but also shivered at how he spoke. "How am I harming my sister?" she asked with a low voice.

"Look at what your Ponyta did!" Emily spoke. "She kicked the pokeball out of your sister's hand. That kick wasn't that hard, but that could have shattered every bone in her hand. Would you have wanted that to happen?"

Jessibell growled again, but she knew Emily was right. "Whatever...I don't care anymore..." she stood to her feet, then tossed the piece of cloth that was in her hand. "Here's the rest of your shirt back," she spoke, coldly. "If you want that worthless pokemon, keep it." Jessibell turned and walked off. "Come now, Jamie, we're leaving."

"What about Ponyta?" Jamie asked.

"It doesn't want to come," Jessibell spoke. "It's worthless, so leave it here with these worthless trainers."

Emily growled again. "Worthless?" she shouted. "Go, Goldy!" she moved her hand off her chest and tossed her blue pokeball out, releasing her Goldy. "Before you call me worthless, how about you test yourself against me?"

Jessibell laughed. "You don't honestly think you can win against me, do you? With all of your lovey-dovey 'We're friends and we'll wipe you out' junk?" Jessibell laughed again. "You're weak."

"Then try me," Emily spoke.

Jessibell growled. "Fine," she spoke. "Jamie, give me my Golduck." Jamie nodded and pulled a pokeball out of her dress pocket and handed it to Jessibell.

"You have your sister carry your pokemon?" Emily asked.

"Like...duh! Where would I stick them on this bathing suit?" Jessibell snatched up the pokeball and tossed it out, releasing a normal Golduck.

"Why are you in a bikini, anyway?" Emily asked.

Jessibell raised an eyebrow. "Like...duh...the ocean is about half a mile that way," Jessibell spoke, pointing to the east, "and Vermillion is about a half a mile from that."

Emily scowled and yelled, "Goldy, use your Slash Attack!"

Goldy rushed forward, drawing back its arm, when Jessibell drew her hand to her face and laughed, then said, "Golduck, use your Water Gun."

Golduck shouted angrily, "Goollllduck!" and unleashed a powerful Water Gun, easily knocking Goldy down, but not terribly hurting it.

"Oh ho ho! Such a weak little Golduck you have." spoke Jessibell. Kiai looked hard on her golduck. It was thinner than it should be, and it had a redness in its eyes.

"Strong, yes.." spoke Kiai, "but unhealthy. I wouldn't be surprised if it dropped dead one day. I take it Jamie takes care of Ponyta?"

Jamie looked up at Kiai and smiled, "I sure do! She's my favorite!"

"Quiet, both of you!" shouted Jessibell.

Emily watched for a moment, trying to decide what she should do. "Goldy, use your Water Gun!" Emily shouted, and Goldy quickly jumped up, standing up straight.

"Golduck!" Goldy shouted, then unleashed its own Water Gun attack, though it was weaker then Jessibell's and did nowhere near the same amount of damage.

"Oh ho ho! Was that supposed to hurt? Golduck, give it a Hyper Beam!" The Golduck quickly pulled its arms up to its forehead, and shot a large Hyper Beam attack, one more powerful then Emily had ever seen. It knocked Goldy down, nearly wiping it out.

Emily's eyes went wide, then turned to Goldy. "She really is stronger..." she spoke. Goldy looked forward, its eyes seemed to glow a light blue. It looked to Emily, and Emily's eyes went wide. A smirk crossed her face as she turned towards Jessibell. "Goldy, use your Return attack!"

"Goooool..." it started as it rushed forward. It's speed seemed to increase enormously, and Goldy jumped into the air, glowing brightly. "DUCK!" Goldy shouted, bringing its fist down, striking the other Golduck hard. Dust and dirt quickly flew up in all directions, and after it cleared, Goldy was seen standing proud. Jessibell's Golduck had been knocked to the ground, and wiped out.

"WHAT?!" Jessibell shouted.

"Return," Emily's pokedex suddenly spoke, "an attack that increases in power the closer the Pokemon and trainer are. Some trainers have been able to get the attack to such a high power, that the attack can knock out even pokemon that are strong against them."

Emily closed her pokedex and looked at Jessibell. "Friendship, love. To be a pokemon trainer, you need both of those, and be able to share them with your pokemon."

"Lies!" shouted Jessibell, "You only need power! And that's what I have!" Jessibell bent down to Jamie and snatched a pokeball from her pocket, knocking her down in the process. "Raichu, go!" she shouted, as a raichu appeared. Before Emily or Kiai could say or do anything, Jessibell shouted, "Thunder, now!"

Raichu's cheeks flickered as it growled, "Raiiiiiii... CHUUU!!" as a massive bolt of lightning shot out, hitting Goldy hard, and knocking it out.

"HAH!" shouted Jessibell, "shut your little mouth up, didn't it?!"

Emily growled. "Return, Goldy!" she shouted, zapping Goldy back into its pokeball. She kissed it gently, then put it away. "You did good, Goldy." She turned back to Jessibell. "You're right," Emily spoke, "power is useful." She turned to Shellshocker. "Go, Shellshocker!" Shellshocker rushed in and Jessibell laughed.

"Using ANOTHER water type?"

Emily smirked. "Yes, I am, what are you going to do about it?" she asked.

"I'll wipe it out in one shot," Jessibell spoke. "Raichu, thunder!"

Raichu's cheeks flickered as it growled. "Raiiiiiii... CHUUU!!" it shouted once more, unleashing the massive bolt once more.

"Shellshocker, Protect!" Shellshocker quickly withdrew into its shell, and the bolt struck hard. Shellshocker popped out, not even phased.

"What?" Jessibell shouted.

"Shellshocker, you do it, too! Use your Return attack!" Shellshocker rushed forward. It's speed increased just like Goldy's.

"Dodge it!" Jessibell shouted as Shellshocker jumped into the air. Raichu quickly turned to move, but Shellshocker brought its fist down on Raichu, knocking it down, nearly taking it out. Jessibell growled, and Emily just looked at her with a cold stare.

"Tell me, how quickly did you evolve your Pikachu?"

"When I got it, of course," Jessibell spoke. "Raichu is stronger then Pikachu."

"Only a little," Emily spoke. "Raichu doesn't learn any of its speed attacks, and it doesn't move very fast either. You could have easily dodged that if you still had had a Pikachu, but you evolved it so quickly, your Raichu didn't get any speed bonuses, or speed attacks. In other words, because you didn't befriend it, and wait until it was ready itself, your Raichu is a weakling."

"Fine then!" snapped Jessibell, and she swiped at Jamie's pocket again, knocking her down once more, but Kiai was there to catch her. Instead of pulling a pokeball out though, Jessibell tore the pocket right off, clutching her pokeballs in her fist. Quickly sorting through them, she grasped one and shouted, "Venusaur, finish that bitch!" She threw the pokeball, and out came an extremely large, but extremely sad-looking Venusaur. The large flower on its back had wilted, and its skin had began to sag. Although it was still very young, it had the impression of being extremely old. "Venusaur, use your Vine Whip!" Venusaur winced, then roared, releasing two long, thick vines.. and hitting Jessibell in the stomach. She doubled over in pain, and fell to the ground, silent.

Emily didn't even react, just continuing to give her the same, cold stare. "Is power really what you want?" she asked as she walked over and knelt next to Jessibell. "Because the only way to achieve the power you're looking for, is through pain...more pain then this...what happens when you catch, say, a fire-type, and it turns on you. It becomes mad at you, burns your only home down, leaving your family with nothing? What if you are the only one who survives? Will you still want power, then? Or will you wish you still had family?" She stood to her feet and looked to Venasaur. Venasaur reacted, almost afraid, it moved back a little, but Emily smiled and gently placed her hand on its head and gently pet it. It took a moment, but Venasaur seemed to smile a little, relaxing.

Jessibell looked from Emily and Venusaur.. to Kiai and Jamie. Jamie was huddled in Kiai's arms, sobbing. Suddenly, Jessibell found a painful knot in her stomach.. and it wasn't from the attack she just received. Eventually she managed to whisper, "I never.. thought about it like that.." The four of them remained still in the quiet night, the only sound being the soft, painful sobs of an abandoned little girl.

After a little while, Emily knelt down next to Jessibell and pulled her close. "I'm sorry..." she spoke, before beginning to cry. Emily stroked her hair a little, and after a few moments, Jessibell looked up at Emily.

"Now," Emily spoke, "you take your pokemon, and your sister. Take them all home, treat them right. Love them, care for them, treat them like they were your best friends, because they can be. Soon, your pokemon will love you, and care for you, and when they do, your pokemon will have even more power. I know very few pokemon who can't learn that Return attack. The closer your bond, the stronger that attack can be. It will take a while to regain the trust of your pokemon, but you can do it, I have faith in you."

Emily stood to her feet, then helped Jessibell stand up. She walked over to Jamie and, after a moment, Jamie allowed her to hug her. "I'm sorry," she spoke again to Jamie. After a moment, she stood and smiled, looking at Emily. "Thank you, you've really opened my eyes to the truth."

"Your welcome," Emily spoke and nodded. "Oh!" Emily quickly spoke. "You said Vermillion City was nearby? About where?"

Jessibell smiled. "I'll take you there, since it's just a little walk from here." Emily nodded. "Although, you might want to change..."

Emily blinked, then looked down. "Oh, yeah," Emily spoke and blushed, covering her chest again. Kiai's hands now found a reason to move up and gently untie Emily's top, dropping it to the ground. Emily blushed heavily at this, and quickly turned her back to Jessibell. She pulled out another halter top and Kiai tied it for her. Any reason for touching Emily was good enough for him. "Thanks," she spoke to Kiai.

"My pleasure." spoke Kiai, with a bit of a blush. Kiai and Emily cleaned up the campsite while Jessibell spoke with Jamie. Neither Kiai nor Emily could hear them, but Jessibell's demeanor had drastically changed; her face was softer, and her eyes were much kinder. Although the hour was getting late, the four of them, guided by Ponyta's glowing flame, made their way through the grass and into the outskirts of what looked like a pokemon ranch.

"This is my family's ranch.." said Jessibell, "I was only staying here to train my pokemon up a bit before going off for more badges.. I think.. maybe I'll stay a bit longer." She turned to Emily and Kiai and smiled. "You're both allowed to stay with us for as long as you need to."

Jessibell was interrupted by a cheerful "Yay!" from Jamie, as she hugged Kiai's leg.

"Tomorrow," Jessibell continued, "I'll show you both all around Vermillion, and I'll introduce you to Captain Surge, the Gym leader." The four of them walked down the dirt path which ran around the ranch, ending at a large and elegant house. When they entered, an older couple, as elegant as the house, ran up to them and knelt down to embrace Jamie.

"Thank god you found her." spoke the older man, clearly the father.

Jessibell stuttered, then spoke, "Mom.. Dad.." Her parents stood up to look at her. They could see the change in her face. Jessibell raised her eyes to meet theres, then hugged them both. "I'm sorry," she spoke.

Jessibell's parents blinked. There was truly something different about her. "I'm not sure what you're sorry for, but whatever it is, we forgive you," her mom spoke.

"Thank you," Jessibell spoke. Emily and Kiai smiled, and Emily once again leaned against Kiai, her arms behind her back. Kiai put his arm around her shoulder. This was her favorite standing position with Kiai, at least, when they were focusing on something other then each other. "Mom, Dad, these are Kiai and Emily," Jessibell spoke. "These two helped me find Jamie, and taught me something important."

"Oh?" Jessibell's mom asked.

"Yeah," Jessibell turned and looked at her parents. "I'll tell you the whole story, right after I change and we put Jamie to bed." Jessibell's parents nodded in response.

"Jamie, go upstairs and change into your pajamas, brush your teeth, then it will be time for bed," Jessibell's father spoke.

"Aww, all right," Jamie spoke, pouting a little, but she then turned and headed up the stairs to her room. Jessibell followed close behind, heading off into the same room together to get changed. It took only a second for Jessibell to come back out, though, as she just tossed on a white, semi-transparent gown, then headed back downstairs with the rest of the family.

The five of them went into the living room, where, beside a large crackling fire, Jessibell confessed to her parents how she began treating her pokemon at the onset of her training journey. At first, her father bristled with rage, but as she went on, he calmed down. Finally, at the end, he sighed heavily and nodded. "We're going to have a bit of a talk tomorrow, young lady, regarding the proper way to raise a pokemon!" He gave her a stern, fatherly look, and she nodded, lowering her eyes.

"Yes, father," Jessibell spoke.

"Well then," continued her father, turning toward Kiai and Emily, "I suppose I have you two to thank for setting my daughter straight." He smiled warmly, "I can tell two young pokemon trainers a mile away. Come from Pallet, have you? You must have gotten lost between here and Cerulean. Got lost myself, 40 years ago when I started out. Camped out in this very spot for a full week before finding my way out. I suppose it's only right that I offer you each an extended stay, until you're ready to move on."

Kiai and Emily thanked him, and he asked Jessibell to show them the empty guest rooms. They all got up and headed upstairs, the parents going toward the masters chamber, while Jessibell led Emily and Kiai down another hall. She opened two doors, each one leading to identical rooms, small but with a comfortable bed and a window overlooking the ranch. "It's not much, but maybe it'll be better than a sleeping bag for a while!" spoke Jessibell. She ran off to her room, waving goodnight. Kiai and Emily both went into their rooms.. but only a few minutes after they had closed their doors, Emily snuck out of hers and silently crept into Kiai's.

From there, the night went pretty uneventfully. The morning soon came, and Kiai and Emily awoke, dressed, and had breakfast specially made for them by Jessibell's family. From there, Jessibell showed them the way out, and lead them to Vermillion City. They arrived as the sun was part way in the sky, signaling an entire day left for a gym battle, and any other wonders that would meet them in this grand city.


	13. The Kanto League Champion?

A/N: In this story, when refering to the Elite Four, I will be using the term "Shittenou". It means "Four Heavenly Kings" and just sounds cooler in my opinion.

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Kanto League Champion?**

Kiai breathed deep the salty air. The port town was slowly stirring to life, even as the morning fog began to dissipate. "Feels good to be in a city again... a soft bed does wonders when you've had hard rocks for a week." His eyes glanced toward Emily as he spoke; having her soft body near his, in truth, didn't make the rocks seem all that bad.

Emily nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Hey, sis, been a while," a female voice asked.

Emily looked forward, finding a rather beautiful girl in front of her. She had blonde hair that went down to her waist, and she had a well rounded face. She had a red hat on, along with a blue shirt and a pair of red pants. Emily blinked for a moment. "A-Amy?"

Kiai's eyes widened. "Wow... is that really you, Amy? You've grown up a lot! Last time I saw you... I was just a little boy. I had barely even met Emily at the time."

Amy blinked for a second, then tried to think. "You must be...that Kie fellow..."

"Kiai," Emily corrected quickly.

Amy rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh, right," she spoke, then walked up to them. She was actually about a foot taller then Emily and Kiai. "So, you two have finally begun your Pokémon journeys." Emily nodded. Amy looked at Shellshocker, who was staring up at Amy. "Still going with the water technique, huh?" Amy asked as she looked at Emily. Emily nodded in response. "And what about you?" Amy asked as she looked at Kiai. "I see you have a rather healthy looking Raticate, what else you got?"

Kiai beamed a bit, but didn't forget himself. "I've got a Spearow and a Butterfree." As he spoke he released both from their pokéballs. Spearow flew up to Kiai's shoulder and twittered, Butterfree floated about lazily in the warm morning sun.

"Very nice," Amy spoke. "All beginner Pokémon, but still nice. I'd challenge you two to a battle to see how good you are...but I'm not allowed to challenge Kanto trainers who haven't at least made it through the first round of Indigo Plateau." She pulled out a small piece of paper and showed it to Emily. "See?"

Emily's eyes went wide as she looked at it, then looked up at Amy. "You-you're..." she was so shocked she was speechless. The paper was a sort of contract, at the top was Amy's title "Champion of the Kanto Region". "I can't believe it. Champion of the Kanto Region, Defeater of the Shittenou..." Emily spoke. Her hands were shaking as she held the paper and looked up at Amy. "This is amazing!"

Amy shrugged. "It's nice, but I don't do much battling anymore. I keep my Pokémon trained up, but the only people I ever battle anymore are random people who challenge me, though they usually get taken out, or they are people who have competed in past tournaments, and are trying to obtain the rank of Champion themselves. I've only been champion for a year, though, so with only two tournaments held so far since I became Champion, I haven't really had any big-time challengers."

"Oh my god, it's Amy!" a random person nearby shouted.

Amy rolled her eyes. "I also get that a lot..." A moment later, Amy found people crowding around her. "Whenever I get noticed...people crowd around me like I'm some superstar...it's kind of annoying..."

"Well, beating the Shittenou of Kanto is no easy task," Kiai spoke. "You're bound to get a few admirers from trainers. Plus, with a body like that, it's no surprise that-" Before he was able to finish, he found himself lying semi-consciously on the hard dirt road, just underneath a very irate Emily holding a blunt object which had materialized out of thin air.

Amy blinked at first, but then laughed. "So, you two are lovers I'll guess."

Emily blushed, then quickly turned around to hide it from her sister. "Y-yeah," she spoke.

"Being careful about it?" Amy asked.

Emily blushed even more at that question. "N-not really...we've kind of just...gone with it..." Amy slowly walked over to Emily and set her hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Well, just be careful not to get pregnant," Amy spoke in a very serious, almost "I'm ready to kill you" tone. "Mom wouldn't be too happy to hear her 13 year old daughter is pregnant." Emily gulped and nodded. Kiai's eyes swirled and his feet twitched. Amy looked down at him with a look which bordered between disappointment and relief. "Anyway…" she spoke, "I'm on my way home right now to give Mom the news and rest up a bit. I just got off the St Anne and I'll probably be leaving Vermillion in a few days. What about you two? Hoping to get a badge from Surge?"

Emily nodded as she turned around, now looking at her sister. "Yeah, we've already gotten badges from both Slate and Misty. In fact, when we went for our Cerulean Badge, we fought both Ash and Misty together. It was awesome!"

Amy blinked. "Ash?" she asked. "As in Ash Ketchum? As in THE Ash Ketchum?" Emily nodded. "Holy…Wow! You must be pretty good if you beat Ash Ketchum."

Emily rubbed the back of her neck. "Actually...we kind of tied...I think Ash went easy on us, though..."

Amy smirked. "Never doubt your abilities, little sister. If you think you only won because someone went easy on you, you'll never feel like a real winner. The truth is, even if he did go easy on you, the gym doesn't just give out badges lightly, so you must have shown great skill. Keep up the work, and I'm sure you can do it." Amy then looked at Kiai, who was still knocked out. She sighed. "You also might want to have your boyfriend looked at...I think you hit him pretty hard with that hammer."

Emily blushed as she looked at Kiai, then back up at Amy. "If you're going to be in town for a few days...maybe you can watch our gym battle?"

Amy thought for a moment, then turned around. "Will you please leave me alone?!" she shouted to the crowd that was still growing. They all quickly scattered. She sighed, then looked at Emily, smiling as she did. "Sure, I'm interested."

"Awesome!" shouted Emily with glee. "Let's go!" Emily spoke, and Emily and Amy headed down the road toward Vermillion Gym. After a few minutes, Emily doubled back and dragged Kiai by the foot along with them.

It took them an hour to get to the gym. The reasons being they stopped at the Pokémon Center to make sure their Pokémon were okay, they forced Kiai to wake up by shaking pepper up his nose, forcing him to sneeze himself awake, and had even stopped to eat, all before they made their way to Vermillion Gym. As the doors opened to the rather large, and impressive gym, a booming voice spoke out. "Who's there?"

"My name is Emily Yamaki from Pallet Town, and I am with my boyfriend Kiai, and my sister Amy. Me and my boyfriend are here to challenge Captain Surge to a match!"

A man with yellow, pointy hair came out of the shadow. He wore an all-green, army uniform. "Looking to challenge me, huh?" he asked. "All right. One on one battle. You against my Raichu." He tossed a pokéball forward. "Go, Raichu!" he shouted, unleashing a rather tall Pokémon. It was dark yellow, and looked like a rat of sorts. It had dark orange cheeks, along with a long black tail that lead to a yellow lightning symbol.

"Raichu rai!" the Raichu spoke.

Emily quickly pulled out her pokédex. "Raichu," the pokédex spoke, "the mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu. This Pokémon exudes a weak electrical charge from all over its body that makes it take on a slight glow in darkness. Raichu searches for electricity by planting its tail in the ground."

"Probably acts as a ground to keep it from storing up too much electricity as well." spoke Kiai.

Surge grinned, "Smart lad. Now which one of you is brave enough to take me on first?" He folded his massive arms across his chest and looked from Emily to Kiai. Raichu mimed the same action perfectly. Kiai glanced at Emily. He knew her specialty was her weakness in this fight, so he wasn't sure if she wanted to go first.

Emily bit her lip. "One on one..." she thought in her mind. "He's got Raichu...a powerful electric Pokémon...I have only water Pokémon...I didn't think about this until now...and now I'm doomed...I beat Jessibell's Raichu easily enough…but that thing was trained badly, too…this is a Gym Leader we're talking about. Return isn't going to help me much at all in this match." Emily's face showed her feelings. She had suddenly lost all will to fight.

Kiai noticed and jumped forward. "Me," he spoke.

Surge laughed at this. "Really? Well then, which Pokémon will you use?"

Kiai bit his lip. He could probably win with Raticate, but what would that leave Emily with? Surge would never use anything but an electric type, so even if Raichu couldn't fight the next battle, Surge would just use something else similar. Kiai's heart sank as he accepted what he had to do; he had to be strong for Emily first and foremost. His body seemed to turn to lead as he reached for his belt and threw out his chosen Pokémon. "I choose you... Spearow!"

"Spearow! Ha!" Surge shouted. "Boy, don't you know flying types are weak against electric types? This will be easy. Raichu, take it down in one shot with your thunderbolt!"

"Rai rai!" Raichu shouted, then began to charge up its electricity. "RaiiiiCHUUU!" it shouted, launching off a large bolt of electricity aimed for Spearow.

"Spearow! Agility, quick!" Spearow shot off toward the ceiling, not a moment too soon. A black char was left on the gym floor right where Spearow had stood. A bead of sweat rolled down Kiai's cheek. If he could beat Raichu using Spearow, then maybe Emily could do the same... but how? Kiai racked his brain but nothing seemed to come to him.

"By the skin on your teeth, that one." remarked Surge. "Well you won't be able to do that again. Raichu, fill the whole arena up with electricity!"

Raichu growled loudly, "Raaaaiiiiiichhhuuuuuuu..." as fierce sparks flew from its cheeks.

"Spearow, quick, Drill Peck its tail!" Spearow squawked and flew quickly down toward Raichu, the air around it swirling into a spiral. It hit the lightning-bolt end of its tail with enough force to pin it to the ground. Just as Spearow began to fly away, Raichu released its built up electricity, showering the entire arena with blue bolts. Spearow couldn't escape, and fell. It slowly got to its feet, and Surges eyes went wide.

"Raichu! Quick, put it out!" Raichu turned, and noticed that too much electricity had followed its tail to the ground, and a fire had started, lighting its tail on fire.

"Raichu! Raichu! Raichu!" Raichu shouted as it began to rush around the arena.

Emily, Kiai, and Surge all sweatdropped at first, then Surge barked out. "Roll and put it out already!" Raichu followed orders, and the fire was soon out. Surge growled. "Smart, boy, real smart, but it looks like your Spearow is about to be fried. Raichu, give it another thunderbolt!" Raichu began to charge up its electricity once more.

"RaiiiiCHUUU!" it shouted, launching off another large bolt of electricity aimed for Spearow.

Just before the bolt hit, a red beam shot out at Spearow, and it vanished. Kiai returned the pokéball to his belt. His eyes lost a little of the light that they once had. He turned to Emily and smiled, though it was obviously forced. "See, it can be done. I'm sure you can do it too!" he spoke.

Emily stared at him for a moment, then down at Shellshocker. "Giving up, then, boy?" Surge asked, though it was obvious.

"Victory is in the eye of the beholder. I may not have won the match, but I got in one good hit. For me, and for Spearow, that's enough." He put his hand on Emily's shoulder. "You can do this Emily. I know you can."

Emily bit her lip. "Speed is the key," Amy spoke, and Emily looked up at her. "That Raichu...it was evolved from a Pikachu right after Surge caught it. He isn't the best with speed. If you can use speed to your advantage, you can wipe him out."

Emily bit her lip again. "Speed..." she spoke, thinking about the Pokémon she had. "Shellshocker, Goldy, Kabutops..." she spoke to herself. "None of them are really fast...and they are all water types..." After a moment, she growled. "Right, I'll do it that way, then." She pulled out a pokéball from her belt. "Let's hope this works. Go, Kabutops!" she shouted, tossing forth the pokéball. It opened, revealing the large rock and water monster Kiai had caught her in Mt. Moon. Surge's face went serious.

"Kabutops...careful, Raichu, we don't know what it can do."

"Rai rai," Raichu spoke, his voice also serious. "You can have the first attack, little missy."

"All right, let's try this out...Kabutops, fill the arena with a sandstorm."

Kabutops gave a glare at her. "Kabu," it spoke, and Emily backed off a little. "Kabutops," it spoke once more.

"No, not Slash, I said Sandstorm."

Kabutops then folded its sickles across its chest. "Kabutops," it spoke, giving a very snotty face.

"Kabutops..." Emily spoke, then fell to her knees. "I'm done for then."

Surge chuckled. "In that case, I'll do the honors. Raichu, Thunderbolt!"

Raichu shouted, "Raaaiii..." and released a powerful thunderbolt at Kabutops, "CHUUU!!" Kabutops wheeled around and brought one of its sickles down, slicing the arcing electricity. It dissipated, but still hit, knocking Kabutops back a bit. Kabutops growled and began to advance on Raichu.

"Kabutops!" Kabutops shouted as it quickly brought its sickles down in a Slash attack.

"Dodge!" Surge shouted, but it was too late. Raichu was struck by the attack and tossed aside.

"Kabutops, listen to me!" Emily shouted out.

"Kabutops!" Kabutops shouted and turned towards Emily. Everyone just stared, wondering what it was planning.

"Kabutops...please..." Emily spoke.

"Kabu!" Kabutops shouted, then rushed forward.

Emily had no choice. She tossed her arm up, and, as Kabutops jumped at her, Emily shouted out, "Thunderbolt," and a bolt of lightning shot from her arm and struck Kabutops, knocking it down to the ground. Amy wasn't too surprised to see this, though she was shocked to see Emily had learned about her powers. Surge just stared, not sure of what had happened.

"Surge..." spoke Amy as she stepped forward, "I think it's best you forget that this happened." Surge grimly nodded as Emily called Kabutops back into its pokéball.

Surge turned to look at Raichu, which had been knocked out cold from the vicious attack. "Well little girl... that counts as a victory," he spoke. "Raichu, return!" Raichu was called back into its pokéball and Surge walked across the arena to Emily. He held out to her a gleaming yellow Thunder Badge. "I wouldn't say you earned this, but a legal victory is still a victory." he spoke.

Emily looked up at Surge, then turned her head away. "No, it's not a victory at all." She stood up, gave a bow, then rushed off. She passed everyone else in the group, and just ran off, not even looking back. If one looked closely, one could see tears slowly going down her cheeks.

Emily ran a good distance, finally reaching the waterfront. She stared out onto the ocean, trying to choke back her tears between her heavy breaths. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and a familiar voice whisper into her ear, "When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be... and in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.."

Emily reacted by quickly turning, shoving her face into Kiai's chest. "Why did it have to be like this?" she asked. "I just want to have a normal life...training Pokémon...but because of Kabutops...no, because of my stupid DNA...I can't...I'm not even a real person. I'm not supposed to exist! I'm a clone of a child who died two years before I was created. I'm not human, because of my Pokémon DNA, but I'm not a Pokémon because of my human DNA..."

"No mother, no father, no brothers or sisters. You have no family, no history, no future. You're a freak of nature, an outcast. As long as people know what you are, you will be shunned." Emily looked up at him, tears pouring from her eyes, wondering how he could be so cruel right now. He looked down at her and smiled warmly. "And I love you." he spoke.

"And so do I." spoke a voice from behind them. Kiai turned and Emily looked up to see Amy, out of breath as well, but smiling. "And so does the woman who raised you, and everyone else who knew you when you were just a baby. Everyone who accepted you for who you are, not what you are. We all love you, Emily. Nothing will change that."

Emily stared at Amy. She was happy to hear those words. She then rushed over to Amy and hugged her, burying her face in her chest now. "I love you so much, sis," she spoke.

Amy smiled and wrapped her arms around Emily. "I love you, too," she spoke, then sat down, pulling Emily onto her lap, gently. She then began to sing, and the song she sang was beautiful, and almost seemed magical. As she sang, Emily settled down, and soon, she had even found herself drifting off to sleep. After a moment, Amy looked up at Kiai. "It's a song Mother used to sing to us as children. It was our lullaby, and it always made us happy as we went to sleep. She'd also sing it whenever we were sad. She'd snuggle us nice and close, then gently sing away. It always seemed to make all of our sadness wash away. It's almost like the song itself is magical."

Kiai knelt down next to Amy and gently stroked Emily's hair. "I'll have to remember that."

The early morning had passed, and the noise of the city was slowly beginning to grow. Amy, who had wanted a private word with Kiai ever since they had met, and knowing that Emily would probably wake up soon, spoke to Kiai without looking at him. "I think... I was a bit hard on you when we first met." she spoke. Kiai glanced at her questioningly. "But..." she continued, "after what you did for her in the Gym... accepting defeat to give her hope... I think you're all right." Kiai smiled, and they sat in silence, staring out into the calming blue water, until Emily began to stir.

Emily rubbed her eyes as she slowly awoke. All traces that she had been upset before were now gone from her face. Amy smiled as she looked down at Emily. "Well, well, you're awake again."

Emily looked up at Amy, then turned to look at Kiai. "Thank you," she spoke to them both, then slowly stood to her feet. Amy and Kiai followed after, slowly standing as well.

"So, now what?" Amy asked.

Emily shrugged. "I can't win at Vermillion...not yet anyway...I refuse to give up, but I know the only Pokémon with a chance of winning is Kabutops. As long as he won't follow orders, I have no choice but not to use him." She looked at Amy. "I also won't use any Pokémon that aren't mine, so don't even try giving me any of yours."

Amy laughed. "Darn, you shot down Plan B before I could even say it," she spoke sarcastically. Emily hugged Amy, then turned and hugged Kiai as well. "Well, since your not going back to the gym," Amy spoke, "then we'll do something else. You come with me, and we go home."

Emily blinked as she stared at Amy. "Why?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, it's always a good idea to return home on occasion and tell Mother how you're doing. Even if she isn't your biological mother, she still cares for you. Second of all, you come with me, and I'll show you a few tricks I know."

Kiai grinned. "I may have figured out a few things myself, you know. Might be fun to see a water type in action against an electric type, depending on the circumstances." The spark that had left his eye in the Gym had returned, and he seemed to be his old self once again.

Emily nodded. "Then we'll do it," she spoke. "We'll all head home, and we can talk about things on the way."

"Well, if you want to walk..." Amy spoke, then pulled out a pokéball. "I was thinking more about flying, though. Go, Dragonite!" she tossed the pokéball forward, and a large, orange dragon appeared. It had a horn on its head, along with two small wings. It had big eyes, and a very cute face with a bug nose.

"Whoa! A Dragonite!" Emily quickly whipped out her pokédex.

"Dragonite, the dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Dragonair," the pokédex spoke. "Dragonite is capable of circling the globe in just sixteen hours. It is a kindhearted Pokémon that leads lost and foundering ships in a storm to the safety of land."

Kiai whimpered slightly. "Wow... Dragonite... where... how..." His eyes glazed over and he fell to his knees.

Amy giggled. "You really are a young trainer... it's almost adorable." She approached the Dragonite, which leaned over and nuzzled her lovingly. "Alright everyone, hop on!" she spoke, and swung her leg over Dragonite's neck. Emily hopped on behind her, and Kiai managed to shake his wonderment off just enough to get on behind Emily. Amy shouted, "Let's go!" and Dragonite shot off across the water. The wind whipped across their faces as they flew out of Vermillion Harbor, under the Route 18 Bridge and rounded the peninsula of Pallet Town. They landed on the grassy, shoreward slope of Professor Oak's back yard, the dome of his observatory visible just beyond the trees. They slid off of Dragonite, completely out of breath and barely able to stand, including Amy who had done it several times before. "Never gets old..." she spoke between breaths.

"That...was...awesome!" Emily shouted. "Wow, it's no wonder you're the Kanto Region Champion, sis."

Amy gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, well, just having strong Pokémon doesn't mean you're a good trainer. Like you. Kabutops is really strong, but because of that, you'll have to train really hard to get it to obey you. I caught Dragonite back as a Dratini, and I remember what happened as it evolved. Dragonites are kind-hearted, but even so, they won't listen to a wimpy trainer, and it took a lot of work to train myself to where it would obey me with no problems." She then turned and pulled out two more pokéballs. "I don't keep all my Pokémon with me all the time. I have too many, but I always keep these three. I'll show you them. Go, Ditto and Porygon!"

Amy tossed the pokéballs forward, first releasing the pink-blob Pokémon, Ditto, followed by the cyber-bird, Porygon. Porygon was very obviously a cyber Pokémon. It looked like something straight from a video game, having all sorts of triangles and squares that made up its shape. It had a pink body and head, with a blue beak, feet, and tail. It looked around for a moment as it floated a little, its feet turning in full circles as it floated there. Emily whipped out her pokédex once more.

"Porygon, the virtual Pokémon," the pokédex spoke. "It is capable of reverting itself entirely back to program data in order to enter cyberspace. A Porygon is copy-protected by Silph Co. so it cannot be duplicated. Ditto, the transform Pokémon. It rearranges its cell structure to transform itself. However, if it tries to change based on its memory, it will get details wrong."

Kiai gazed at both. "Interesting combo. You don't see a whole lot of either around here. Why'd you choose them?"

"Well, for one thing, Porygon is pretty strong, in that it can copy the opponent's type. For example, using a Porygon against Raichu, Porygon could become an electric-type Pokémon. Use it against Kabutops, and while it can't become a rock-water type, it'll become the first type, meaning a rock type. Ditto, on the other hand, can become any Pokémon it sees. So, if I fight a Machop, my Ditto becomes Machop. With no differences between Pokémon, it can confuse the trainer at times. With a Ditto, though, you have to know a lot about all the different types out there. You never know what you'll encounter."

"I see... so a Porygon can be very defensive, while a Ditto requires you to be more knowledgeable about your opponent's Pokémon than your opponent. Small wonder you're as good as they say you are, if you're able to handle a Ditto!"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, it takes a lot to handle Ditto. I don't use him a lot in real battles, but it's fun to watch young trainers get beaten down by a copy of their Pokémon. It shows them how much they really know, and I always tell them to keep training, and to learn all they can."

"So, Amy, what can you teach me?" Emily asked.

"I'll show you, come on," Amy spoke, then headed off towards Professor Oak's. "Professor, I'm back!

In an instant, Professor Oak seemed to jump out of what he was doing in another room, and appear before them. "Amy! It's been forever since I saw you last, how are you doing?" he asked the moment he appeared.

"Just fine, Professor, just coming to get some of my Pokémon and visit family."

"Ah, well it's very good to see you again Amy. I've been meaning to personally congratulate you on your accomplishments as a trainer. I knew from the start that you would go places."

Amy blushed slightly. "Aw Professor, you say that about everyone!"

"And Emily, Kiai! Back so soon? How have things been going?"

Kiai smiled and shook his head. "It's been a hell of a thing, Professor," he spoke.

"Yeah, after our last call about the pokérus, we got stuck in Mt. Moon by Team Rocket," Emily spoke, then blinked. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. We met Giovanni there, the Viridian City Gym leader. Turns out he's the leader of Team Rocket."

"No way!" Professor Oak shouted. "Then maybe that explains..." Oak went silent.

"What is it, Professor?" Amy asked.

"Giovanni resigned as gym leader a couple weeks back, about the time when Emily called me about the pokérus."

"Really? Then who's the gym leader now?" Emily asked.

"My grandson, Gary," Oak spoke.

"Professor..." spoke Kiai, slowly, "could you repeat that?"

Oak nodded solemnly. "After Gary lost in his first tournament with Ash, he began to realize how terrible of a trainer he was. It took him several years and several humiliating defeats, but he cleaned up his act. I'm afraid he's still got a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but I would not have voted him into the position if I didn't feel he could perform his duty."

"Wow!" Emily spoke, then turned to look at Kiai. "First, Ash is a gym leader at Cerulean, and now Gary is the gym leader at Viridian."

Amy nodded. "It really is amazing," she spoke. "Either way, I came to get two Pokémon from you, professor. I need my Raichu and my Lapras."

Oak nodded. "Of course, right this way." Oak led them to a large room filled with pokéballs. One of the walls was labeled "Amy Yamaki" and the sight before them was simply amazing. The entire wall was filled with pokéballs of different colors and types. One in particular, a black ball that had had a couple of yellow stripes on it, caught Emily's interest.

"An ultra ball?" Emily asked. "What's inside of it?"

Amy shook her head. "A Pokémon I'll probably never release."

"Why?" spoke Kiai, "What happened... is it something dangerous?"

Amy nodded. "It's the most dangerous Pokémon I've ever fought. I caught it after a terrible battle." she closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. "It killed three of my Pokémon. And when I say that, I don't mean just knocked them out. I mean it tore them to shreds." She opened her eyes and looked at Kiai. "I cannot tell you what it is, and that Ultra Ball is the only thing preventing it from causing terror again."

Kiai felt his stomach turn to stone. Up till then, he never thought a Pokémon would die in a fight. The mortality of his companions... of his friends... was suddenly very real to him. "Now you understand why I can never let it out of that ball." Emily's eyes dropped, and her entire head hung down as she imagined her own Pokémon in a situation like that.

"How...how did you manage to get over it?" Emily asked after a moment.

"I didn't," Amy spoke. "I keep their memory in my mind, and it is what strives me to become stronger, and more powerful. I want to be able to stop it, should it ever get free."

"Shouldn't it be somewhere more secure?" Emily asked. "Professor Oak has had these pokéballs stolen before, what if it happens again?"

Amy sighed. "I don't know...but Professor Oak's lab is the most secure place I know for this. If I find something else, surely I will put it there."

Oak then walked to the wall and grabbed the two Pokémon that Amy had asked for, and handed them to her. "Here you go," he spoke. "And don't let those old memories make you cry."

Amy nodded and took the pokéballs and placed them on her belt. She then looked towards Emily and Kiai. "Ready? I've got a couple tricks to show you." Emily and Kiai both nodded in response, and with that, they headed out to the field that lied outside of Oak's lab to practice.

**End of Book 1

* * *

**A/N: So, what did you think of Book 1? Did you enjoy it? Hate it? Please review before you move on to Book 2, and also, don't forget to hit next after you do so you can start on Book 2 of Pokemon Black Earth!


	14. The ThunderBadge Rebattle

**Book 2**

**Chapter 14: The Thunderbadge Rebattle**

A sound like a passing jet rumbled across the streets of Vermillion. with the beating of fierce and powerful wings, on the quay on the far edge of the city landed a Dragonite and its three passengers. They slid off one by one, an older female sliding down its back, followed closely by a younger one. A young male very tenderly clambered across its side and landed hard on his two feet, nearly toppling over. The two girls giggled as they approached him, the younger one speaking, "What's wrong, Kiai? Don't like riding on dragons?"

The young man shook off the paleness in his face and replied, "No, and you should have known that from our last chapter."

The youngest stared at him, while the older woman gave a giggle, as if understanding his words. After a moment, the youngest shrugged. "Anyway, we should be getting to Surge," she spoke.

"Very true, Emily," the older spoke. "Now, you remember everything I taught you?"

Emily nodded in response. "I remember everything, sis," she responded. "But...are you really really really sure it's okay to give me this?" She grabbed a new pokéball from her belt, looking at it.

"I've said it ten times now. I know you love water Pokémon, and I know you'll take good care of it."

Emily nodded. "If you're absolutely sure..."

"Absolutely," Amy responded with a smile. "Now, hurry up and get going. You're wasting valuable chapter time." Emily blinked once more at the statement and titled her head.

"Not you too. I keep telling her that chapters don't always have to be so long." spoke Kiai. Emily turned to him, her eyes beginning to glaze over. Kiai shook his head and waved his hand. "Never mind. Come on, I've got a score to settle." Kiai turned toward Amy and bowed graciously. "Thank you, for all your help. I'm sure everything you've taught us will be useful."

Amy nodded. "I'm sure everything will be fine. I've taught you all a lot, and I'm confident you can win."

Emily nodded in response to Amy's words. "Thank you, sis." She hugged her sister. "Will you be watching again?"

Amy was about to speak when there was a beeping noise. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object that looked similar to a watch, though it had no strap to put it around her wrist. "Hello?" she spoke into it.

"Where the hell are you, Amy?" a loud, female voice shouted from the watch-like object. Emily now realized it was an older form of a pokégear.

"I told you I was visiting my family, Zoey," Amy spoke into the pokégear.

"And you said it would take only a couple days!" the voice from the pokégear shouted back. "It's been a week since you left! Don't you remember you have a match tomorrow?"

"Shit..." Amy bit her lip. "I'll be right there then..." She pushed a button on the gear and put it away, bowing to Kiai and Emily. "Sorry, I have to go, otherwise I would."

Emily nodded in regard. "I understand," she spoke. "You've got more important things to do now since you're the champion. Better not keep your boss waiting."

Amy nodded and gave a bow once more. "Good-bye, both of you."

Kiai and Emily shielded themselves from the dust kicked up by Dragonite's wings. Amy waved to them both as the two of them sped up and off into the soft blue sky, before disappearing behind a cloud. Another rumble rattled their feet as the Dragonite went supersonic, and sped Amy off to her own adventure. Kiai let the feeling of loneliness wash over him, and let it remind him that he too had an adventure to go on. He smiled and grasped Emily's hand. "Come on... we've got to get going."

Emily nodded. "Yeah." She turned to look back at Vermillion City and sighed. "I guess this is it...our retry for our third badge..." Her body shook a little. "I'm still nervous...I know Amy taught me a lot...and it really helped...but can I still really do this? I know she said I was ready...even though I still couldn't beat her Raichu...but...she's also stronger then Surge..."

"Just remember, Emily. Water is weak against Electricity, but that's only because electricity travels through it. That gives you an opportunity for control, to the point where Surge can't even touch you." Kiai gave her a reassuring smile as the two of them walked down the road. The large, yellow gym was already visible, and there was an unusual bustle about the city. "I guess the St. Anne has come back. Maybe we should take a relaxing trip after we pummel Surge!" Kiai grinned confidently and put his hands behind his head.

"Maybe..." Emily seemed rather zoned out. Kiai wasn't sure whether she was really worried, or if she was just very focused about the upcoming battle. Either was honestly possible for her. She gave a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment, then re-opened them as her legs began to move forward slowly, moving ever closer to the large building that held the Pokémon Gym. As her hands reached forward and touched the large metal doors, she took a deep breath, then pushed them open wide. "Surge!" she shouted out.

A tall man with large muscles appeared into view, revealing Surge once more. "So, girly, you're back, are you?" he asked with a smirk upon his face. "Ready to lose this time? Or did you manage to get that Kabutops under your control?"

"Ready for round two, Surge." spoke Kiai.

Surge glanced at him and gave him a vicious grin. "Boy, you sure had a lot of guts last time, facing me with a pigeon. I hope you've learned your lesson."

Kiai returned his grin. "I've learned more than you know."

Surge snapped his fingers, and an array of lights clicked on. "Very well then. Who's the first to take me on?!" he roared.

Emily sighed and stepped forward, a look of determination on her face. Her body shook with nervousness, but she was determined to win it no matter what. "I'll go first," she spoke. "If I don't, I may not have the guts to try again."

Surge bellowed as he laughed. "Very well, then, but don't think I'll be going easy on you just because you're a girl."

"You didn't last time, so I don't expect you to this time."

Surge grabbed a pokéball from his belt and held it forward. "This will be a one-on-one match, just like last time."

Emily nodded. "Of course." Surge tossed the ball into the middle of the field and it opened to reveal a large yellow Pokémon that was covered in black stripes over its body. It had two, massive, muscular arms, much like Surge himself had, along with fairly scrawny legs that led to a pair of feet that had sharp claws at the ends. It also had a long tail, while also having two small orbs on the top of its head, almost like one would expect from some form of electric conductor.

"This is my Electabuzz," Surge spoke. "I'll be using it against you this time, since you wiped out my Raichu with your Kabutops. Poor guy took two days to heal up from your vicious attack."

Emily's face hadn't changed any, though, still showing she was determined. "Fine by me, Surge," she spoke and grabbed her newest pokéball. "Amy...I hope you're right about this..." she tossed the pokéball forward as she shouted. "Go, Lapry!" From the ball came a massive Pokémon, at least six feet in height, if not more. It had a turtle-like shell that covered its back, though the rest of its body looked more like a water dinosaur, having four fins where there should have been legs, along with a long neck that led to a rather round face with a pair of round ears at the top of its head.

Surge raised a brow. "Your fish has nowhere to swim here, little girl. You sure you want to use it?" he asked.

"I'm confident," Emily replied.

"Confidence shatters just like everything else when it's struck by lighting. Electabuzz, give it a Thunderbolt!" Yellow sparks rippled across the skin of the muscular Pokémon, and the two orbs on the top of its head were joined by an arc of almost white electricity. With a rumbling roar, a bolt of electricity shot out from the arc and headed straight towards Lapras.

"Lapry! Counter it with an Ice Beam!" Emily shouted. Lapry reared its head back and shot forward a large beam of ice directly into the electricity. The two collided and seemed to mix, soon dispersing with no damage done to either side. "Now, Lapry, hit it with Confuse Ray!" Lapry's ears seemed to twitch a little and its eyes glowed. In an instant, Electabuzz's eyes began to glow a red color and it began to swing its fists around wildly.

"Dammit!" grunted Surge. "Electabuzz, snap out of it!" As the Electabuzz staggered wildly, its balled fists flailing and sparks of electricity popping out, it managed to control itself just enough punch itself hard square in the face. The shock of its own strength made it wobble even more. Surge shook his head in obvious frustration. "What an idiot..." he mumbled. "Electabuzz, Thunder Wave!" The Electabuzz shook its head, but it was still clearly unstable. It thrusts its open palms forward, and a massive multitude of smaller bolts leapt out, each one aiming for Lapras, but the aim was off, and only a few hit. Lapras shuddered and clinched.

Emily bit her lip, her fists tightening a bit. "Don't give up yet, Lapry!" she shouted. "Try hitting it with an Ice Beam while its confused!" Lapry roared a bit and shifted, opening its mouth. At once, a beam of ice shot forward, aimed directly at the wobbling Electabuzz.

"Quick, Electabuzz! Thunder Punch!" shouted Surge. The Electabuzz wound up and threw its fist and body forward, electricity arcing down its arm, just as the Ice Beam hit. The Electabuzz was thrown back, but the beam froze only its single arm. The Electabuzz breathed heavily, and let its frozen arm fall to the gym floor with a thud. It glared hot at the Lapras, its confusion gone, but its will splintered. Surge gritted his teeth. "Electabuzz.... Discharge." Hot sparks cracked through the air surrounding the Electabuzz as it slowly drew power. The sparks traveled up its body, and begun to collect in a glowing white arc across the two orbs on its head. Both Surge and Electabuzz had a look of desperate determination.

Emily knew exactly what Discharge could do. Amy had used it several times during the training. "Lapry!" she shouted. "Use Protect, quickly!" Lapry gave a roar as a white shield appeared around it, just in time to avoid the discharging of Surge's electric attack. Emily stepped back a little to move out of the range of the attack as she watched as the white electricity surged through the whole stadium, and once over, the room was filled with several charred spots all around. Some of the electricity had even come close to hitting her, even with her distance from the attack. "Did she make it?" she asked, then noticed Lapry was left standing strong on her side of the field. "Thank God..." she spoke, smiling. "We managed to survive it..."

Electabuzz was standing without much strength anymore, its eyes were drooping and its breath hot and low. Only a few small sparks of electricity were flickering here and there, and the arc between its orbs had vanished. "Alright, Electabuzz. Revenge." Electabuzz gritted its teeth, lifting its frozen arm up and charging at the Lapras. Reeling its frozen arm back, it lunged at the Lapras, throwing the massive weight of the block of ice at it in a last-ditch effort.

"Lapry, Ice Beam!" Emily shouted. Lapry reared its head back just as Electabuzz charged at it. As Electabuzz's fist flew forward, Lapry's beam of ice shot forward, and the two attacks collided, causing an explosion of energy that shout outward, causing dust to fly everywhere and cloud the battle field. "Did...I get him?" Emily asked as she stared forward into the dust cloud. Surge also had a look that showed a bit of worry, wondering whether his Pokémon was okay or not. When the dust cleared, Lapry was seen, having obviously taken a hard hit. However, it was still up and moving. As the dust cleared more, an unconscious Electabuzz lied frozen solid on the battlefield.

"Fine. Electabuzz, return." grumbled Surge, holding out a pokeball and allowing the Electabuzz to beam back into it. Returning it to his belt, he pulled out a small object and tossed it at Emily. It landed at her feet, and gleamed in the bright overhead lights: a Thunderbadge. Surge heaved a deep breath, and spoke, "Beaten by a turtle. You got lucky, girl." He mumbled further under his breath, "but at least you played by the rules this time."

Emily gave a sigh of relief and collapsed to her knees. Her body was finally able to relax as she smiled as she gripped the Thunderbadge in her hand. "Thank you, Surge." She looked up at Lapry and smiled, and the Pokémon returned the smile. "You did good, return." She held out a pokeball and the beam zapped Lapry back inside the pokeball. She then turned to Kiai. "Umm...a little help? My legs don't want to move anymore." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

Emily and Kiai struggled for a few moments to shake off the effects of the Thunder Wave, the results of which was Kiai comically falling flat on his face when his legs suddenly decided to move... out from under him. With a grumble and a "Wipe that grin off your face" shot at Emily, he stood up and faced Surge. Surge folded his arms across his massive chest and smiled. "You know, boy, a few trainers came in after you. I heard stories of a young man by your description with a powerful Raticate. I must admit, with your skill, I have been more than a little eager to meet you again, and would have been disappointed if I didn't get the chance."

Kiai reached for his belt. "Sorry to disappoint, Surge, but my Raticate would make this too easy." Surges smile vanished in an instant, and was replaced by a very upset scowl. Kiai continued, holding his pokeball out, "Go show him what we learned, Spearow." A flash of red instantly shot out, and a Spearow appeared in front of Kiai, its feathers twitching with hot anticipation.

Surge felt the need to laugh, but he could also feel the determination that Kiai had flowing through him, which kept him serious. "Very well, if you really want to lose." He snapped his fingers and from the corner came the dark yellow rat-like Pokémon that had nearly wiped out Kiai's Spearow before. "Raichu, let's end this quickly."

"Rai rai," the Raichu responded and smirked, almost evilly. "I won't go easy on you just because you're using a bird," Surge spoke. "Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Raichu built itself up with electricity and a large bolt of electricity soon arced from its body, aiming for the bird in flight.

"Spearow, Agility." spoke Kiai calmly. Spearow vanished, and the Thunderbolt passed by the spot it was hovering, flew over Kiai's shoulder, and hit the far wall, leaving a nasty singe. The steady, soft flapping of a small pair of wings led everyone to look up into the lights, the Spearow still there, completely unfazed. A grin crept into the corner of Kiais lips, his eyes low and focused on Surge. "Spearow... Double Substitute." With a loud trill, Spearow glowed green, and five copies of it appeared in the sky, each one bristling with determination.

Surge scowled and roared, "WHAT?! WHAT IS THIS?!"

Kiai burst forth, as if releasing a great weight, "A new move, learned especially for you! My own combination of Double Team and Substitute!"

"Clever, boy! But that won't stop you! Raichu, fill the arena up with electricity!" Raichu accepted its order eagerly, its cheeks cracking with power. Bolts of lighting zapped out, toward the far corners of the room, some even hitting the lights and destroying them in a burst of sparks. "Doesn't matter how many copies and how fast they are if they're still going to perish from a single blow, boy! Too bad you didn't think of that!!" Surge laughed manically, but when his eye caught Kiai's, he stopped short and glared. "What?!" he shouted.

Kiai's gaze didn't leave Surges for a moment as he spoke, "Bide."

Surge's eyes went wide as it dawned on him what Kiai's strategy was. "Raichu..." he whispered, "stop what you're doing..." A bolt of lightning leapt out toward the mob of Spearows, and hit one. It fell to the gym floor, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The remaining 5 broke off in a blur, and began to peck the Raichu from all sides. Small attacks, light, and none seemed to harm the Raichu, but damage was being done. "Raichu! Stop it!" Two more bolts, shot at random, hit a blur, and two more Spearows fell.

"RAICHU! CEASE IMMEDIATELY!" shouted Surge, sweat beading on his brow. Raichu couldn't stop, or it didn't want to, obsessed with its own display of power. "Rrraaaaaaaaiiiiiii..." it began, as another Spearow fell. "CHHHHHUUUUU!!!!" A massive thunderbolt leapt up from Raichu, hitting all the lights, and sending bolts down into the arena, covering the entire gym in electricity and dust. The sparks and snaps filled the air as the dust began to settle, only a small handful of lights remained on.

Through the dust, however, there was a sound... a sound of beating wings. Kiai grinned, as Spearow unleashed twice as much pain as all five of its counterparts had just suffered directly onto Raichu, whose eyes went white and toppled over. Spearow landed and preened its feathers, having not taken a single hit.

Surge gave a growl, which then erupted into a roar. "First I'm beaten by a turtle, then my prize Raichu is beaten by a simple bird? You've got to be kidding me!" He growled and closed his eyes. After a moment, he re-opened his eyes, a smirk on his face. "You two are clever kids, that's for sure. Kinda reminds me of someone else that came through here a couple years ago. She wiped me out with nothing but a bird, just like you did, boy. Except hers wasn't a Spearow like yours. Hers was only a simply Pidgey." He nodded and folded his massive arms across his chest. "Yeah, you two definitely deserve the victory here, that's for sure." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another Thunderbadge, which he tossed to Kiai. "There you go, your third badge. Take it and go." He turned and walked off.

Kiai smiled, and knelt down. He lifted the Thunderbadge up, and showed it to Spearow. "You earned this," he spoke softly. "It's ok now, you don't have to hold it in anymore." Spearow pecked at the Thunderbadge, then gave a trill. It glowed white, holding its wings out at its side. The trill became deeper as Spearow grew, its wings spreading out far, its beak lengthening. As the light faded, a Fearow hovered in front of Kiai, its wings almost not beating to keep it aloft. Kiai smiled. "Someone has been spending too much time with Raticate." Fearow cawed proudly. "Well done, return, Fearow!"

"Evolution is so great," Emily spoke, smiling. "Well, that's three badges. Now what? The next badge Ash went for was in Celadon, if I remember right." She pulled out her pokégear and pushed a button, causing a map to pop up. "We'd have to go back towards Saffron to get there, though. So I suppose we could just hit Saffron...if they let us through this time..." She sighed. "I can only wonder why the gates were closed last time..."

"I'm sure we'll find out eventually," spoke Kiai, almost idly as he gazed at the pokeball in his hand. He returned it to his belt, then tucked the Thunderbadge away. "But for now, I think we deserve a break. C'mon, let's get something to eat, I'm starving!"

Emily giggled. "Only you can think about eating right after a battle," she spoke, then kissed him on the cheek. The two then turned and walked out of the guild, wondering what lied next on their adventure. They had no idea, though, the dangers that lied ahead of them, and what evils they would soon discover.


	15. Multiple Personalities

**Chapter 15: Multiple Personalities**

"I don't get it at all," Emily spoke as she stared at Kiai. The two were sitting in a quaint little café at the edge of Vermillion City, having stopped to eat while their Pokemon healed at the center. "Why in the world would you want a Ghost Pokemon? They're creepy!"

"Tactical advantage," spoke Kiai, grinning. "They're good to have around, and very helpful. Difficult to catch though, very difficult…need something that can hurt them. Most attacks just pass right through. The only thing I have now is a Butterfree, but he's too weak for a Ghost-type like that. I'll need something else, and it won't be easy to get." His eyes continued to sparkle, reflecting light even though they were in a cool shade. He was eager for this. He had dreamed of being a trainer for years, reading everything he could about pokemon and abilities, and he had long ago formed the foundation of a team. What he was after now was going to be the turning point, the difference between a trainer and a master…and he knew it.

"Really now? And what is it you would need that could defeat a Ghost type? After all, Ash Ketchum, from the stories he tells anyway, said that none of his Pokemon could take care of the Ghost types, and he had all kinds of different types with him."

"To each his own. I seem to recall making a similar argument against you, on multiple occasions, regarding your decision to travel only with Water-types." As he said this, he saw Emily's face soften, as if she had suddenly gotten lost in thought. Even though he disagreed with her tactical ignorance, he knew that her decision was made for her own desires, as was his, and he would never challenge her. Seeing her lost in thought, he wondered, "Hey…are you…reconsidering your lineup…?"

"No...but, for some odd reason, the thought of having an Eevee on my team just popped up..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I really don't understand why."

"Hm…" spoke Kiai, staring hard at Emily, and sinking back into his chair. A cool sea breeze blew past them, and Kiai was reminded of seaside marshes with tall, waving reeds. "Maybe we'll find one along the way," he spoke. "We'd have more luck going the way we're going than the way we would normally go." He shot another grin at Emily, the sort of grin he always had when he was planning something.

Emily shrugged. "An Eevee would make a good addition, though. With an Eevee, I could use a Water Stone and make it into a Vaporeon. But then...Eevee on its own is really cute..." She seemed to now focus her thoughts solely on Eevee, and Kiai noticed the same look that was on her face as was the day she saw her first Squirtle before their adventure started. Kiai wondered if all that drove Emily in the world of Pokemon was Pokemon that were either cute or water-types.

He shook his head, but smiled softly and didn't argue. "You silly girl." he spoke, barely above a whisper. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, torn and battered wallet. He dropped a few bills onto the table, then placed a salt shaker over them to keep them from flying away. He stood up and walked around to Emily, then held out his hand, gentlemanly offering to help her out of her chair. "C'mon, let's get to the Center and grab our pokemon. I'm too excited to sit still anymore."

Emily nodded. "All right, then I guess we'll head off to Lavender Town after that...but when we get to the tower...you can go in yourself..." She folded her arms when she said those words.

"Aww c'mon, don't be a little scaredy-meowth. They're just pokemon." He laughed, ruffling her hair.

"Ha ha, just Pokemon...and from what Ash Ketchum says, they killed him and turned him into a ghost...sure they were nice enough to revive him, but what if that doesn't happen with us?"

"They won't get the chance to kill us. And if they do, well, you can run away and I'll haunt you forever, how about that?"

"Haunting me forever is not a good thing!" Emily spoke while waving her arms. She knew Kiai was speaking out of fun and affection, but she didn't really care.

"Aww c'mon, it'll be fine." he spoke, putting his arm around her shoulder. He spoke with as much sincerity as he could muster, though the suppressed giggling might have given him away. "I can scare people who try to hurt you and guard the house at night and spy on you when you're in the shower…"

"Spying on me in the shower is not good!" She randomly blurted out, causing a few stares to turn her way. She noticed and turned rather red, causing Kiai to laugh a bit. "I...it's not funny...I don't care if you see my body during...passionate moments..." She looked away. "Or when I'm changing..." She seemed to turn really red as she realized she couldn't think of any time she would honestly have a problem with Kiai seeing her body. "Ok...you win..."

"Knew I'd get you with that." He dropped his arm around her waist and gave it a tug, turning her and pulling her toward him so he could plant a kiss right on her lips. He didn't linger, though, and pulled away so they could keep walking. He was excited, now, to be seeking two more pokemon to round out his team, but the thought of Emily's young but full body started to creep into his mind. He was lucky that the Pokemon Center crept into view, and he tried very hard to think of collecting his team and heading out, and not walking along the beach at the outskirts of the city, his hand in Emily's, the full moon and the gentle, crashing waves…the look in her eye…the warmth of her body…he shook his head, and tried very, very hard to spot specks of dirt in the glass windows of the street-side shops.

It didn't take long for them to get into the Pokemon Center, get their teams, then start heading out. However, just as they walked out, Nurse Joy ran up to them. "Wait!" she shouted, and Emily and Kiai turned around quickly.

"What is it?" Emily asked, looking curious.

"Just as you left, the other nurse who works in the back and is in charge of sending Pokemon between Centers gave me this." She held out a strange black ball. The middle ring was an odd red color, instead of the black middle ring like other pokeballs had. Above that was another red ring, placed roughly in the middle of the top section.

"What's...this...?" Emily asked, blinking a little. The ball opened, and inside was a piece of paper. Emily blinked once more at this, then pulled the paper out. "'Dear Emily, I forgot to give you this,'" Emily read. "'It's called a Luxury Ball and is a special kind of Pokeball. Anything you catch in it will instantly become more friendly with you, or so I've heard. I've never had a chance to find out myself. Please take it. I don't have much use for it at this time, and I think, since you only have five Pokemon, it might aid you more then me. Plus, I know how you're a breeder type trainer, and you love to be as close to your Pokemon as possible. I'll see you again soon. Signed, Amy.'" She blinked, then turned, holding it out to Kiai. "It sounds kind of cool, actually..."

"Luxury Ball…" he spoke, examining it closely, "you don't find that in many shops…though, Amy being who she is, I'm hardly surprised she came upon one. Something like that will come in handy…" his voice trailed off as he scrutinized the object.

The pair then strolled serenely out of the Pokemon Center, Shellshocker was clinging to Emily's head and Kiai was busy fastening his pokeballs to his belt. He sniffed a little as they hit the fresh, warm air. The thought that he might be coming face-to-face with a ghost wasn't something he enjoyed, but he knew he'd have to stick to it. "I hear there are some Drowzee to the East. We're heading there anyway, and I could use a Psychic-type."

Emily rose an eyebrow. "First you talk about wanting to capture a Ghost-type, now it's a Psychic-type you want?" She shrugged. "You can be really confusing at times." Shellshocker turned his view to the side and for a split second, his eyes caught upon the shadow of something. But as quickly as he had seen it, it had vanished. Shellshocker stared with a dumbfounded look, but said nothing.

"What do you mean confusing?" The two of them started off down the road. "Just because you can't understand my incredibly powerful strategies doesn't mean they aren't incredibly powerful." He put on a very bad attempt at a thoughtful and confident face, but he was pretty sure Emily could see through it in an instant.

"Incredibly powerful strategies? I'll hand it to you, you've had some good ideas for strategies, but others...I mean...who just breaks into a Team Rocket base and starts smashing their equipment? Yet, you did. Yeah, so I followed you, but it was because I was worried you would die...not to mention that vision Mew was giving me..." She put her hands behind her head and looked forward. "Besides, I can tell when even you aren't confident of your own ability to accomplish something, and right now, you aren't. Ghost-types are dangerous, and you know that. They're virtually unstoppable, which is why Shittenou Agatha hasn't been beaten in a while unless you count my sister, and before that, she hadn't been defeated in a while. It's not only cause she's a Shittenou, but also cause she's a Ghost-type expert."

"You're way off. I'm not afraid of Shittenou whosit or anything, or any Ghost types. They're just pokemon, and I do have a strategy. The only thing I'm afraid of is going into a creepy half-broken tower in the middle of the night. Gives me the jibblies." He shivered as a chill ran down his spine, but he otherwise remained unphased. "And I want a Psychic type for a good reason. You'll find out eventually."

"Well, whatever you say." Emily just shrugged.

Shellshocker noticed it again, the strange shadow. This time, it stayed put a bit longer then before and he could make out a little of what it could be. He was about to speak, when the shadow seemed to dart in front of Kiai and Emily. "Squirtle squirt!" he shouted.

Kiai looked down. "Oh come on now, that's just too convenient." A small, cheery-looking Eevee was sitting there, staring up at them. It cooed a high-pitched 'Eeeeveee'. Kiai nudged Emily, "You wanted one of them, yeah?"

Emily nodded. "All right, let's do this, Shellshocker." Shellshocker hopped down and stared at the Eevee intently. The Eevee realized what was going on and got up and ready for battle. "Shellshocker, Water Gun!" Emily shouted and Shellshocker inhaled, then unleashed a burst of water forward. The next thing Shellshocker knew, electricity was arcing up the burst of water, striking him hard. "Shellshocker, are you okay?" Emily quickly grabbed Shellshocker then looked up at the Eevee, but the thing that greeted her was no Eevee. It's fur was golden in color and seemed to be pulled up in spikes around its body. Electricity coursed through its body and it growled. "What in the world?"

Kiai grinned. "Looks like this isn't something you can just blow bubbles at. Eevee are not to be trifled with, Emily. If you want to go at one, you best know what you're dealing with. Incidentally…good luck~" Kiai took a step back and folded his arms across his chest, a slightly manic grin on his face.

"That's a lot of help," Emily spoke, then turned back at the creature. "But...that's still an Eevee?" She rose her pokedex and opened it.

"Jolteon, the Lightning Pokemon and one of many evolutions of Eevee," the pokedex spoke. "It controls 10,000-volt power and can raise all the fur on its body as if it were sharp needles."

"Jolteon?" The Jolteon quickly jumped to the side and it seemed to change into a blue, almost fish-like creature now. Noticing this, the pokedex also responded.

"Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet Pokemon, it is one of the many evolutions of Eevee. Its cell composition is similar to water molecules. As a result, it can melt away into water."

"Err...it can evolve at will?" Emily blinked and looked back up. "All right..." She reached to her pokeballs and pulled out Goldy's ball. "Go, Goldy!" she shouted and tossed the ball forward. "Golduck!" Goldy shouted upon release and flexed its muscles. "Goldy, use Psychic!" Goldy put its hands to its forehead and its eyes began to glow. The Vaporeon soon found itself lifted up and tossed aside, slamming into a nearby tree. It seemed to instantly switch though, now changing back into Jolteon. Electricity coursed through its body and it unleashed a large bolt of electricity forward. "Goldy, dodge!" Emily shouted and Goldy just barely maneuvered out of the way.

"All right...I beat Surge, I can beat this thing. Goldy, Hyper Beam!" Goldy put its hands to its forehead again and the gem on its head began to glow. A huge beam of energy launched forward, but the Jolteon switched back to Eevee, making it much faster and able to jump out of the way of the attack. It then rushed forward, switching to Jolteon once more. Electricity began to swirl around it as it gained in speed. "Goldy, watch out!" Emily shouted, but Goldy couldn't move. Hyper Beam always used up a good amount of energy on a pokemon and caused it to be helpless for a short time. In that amount of time, Jolteon struck Goldy with its Volt Tackle, knocking it back and to the ground.

"Goldy!" she shouted and growled. Goldy wasn't out, but it had no hope either. "Return!" she shouted and returned Goldy. "Go, Lapry!" she tossed her Lapras forward, unleashing the ice Pokemon she had used to defeat Surge. "Ice Beam!" In an instant, the Jolteon switched forms again, unleashing a huge blast of fire to counter her Lapras' ice attack. "Damn it!"

Kiai tried to stifle a laugh, but after the resounding snort, he burst out. "Wow, that's great." He bent over and wiped a tear away. "Sorry Emily, but just…wow…so do you need help or are you still cool?"

"I...don't know...this thing is countering all of my moves. Lapry, use Confuse Ray!" Emily shouted and Lapry's eyes began to glow. In an instant, the Eevee was ensnared by the confusion and it began attacking anything around it at random, unleashing fire attacks all around. "Not good!" she shouted when she noticed the Eevee set flame to a tree. "Lapry, put out that fire with Water Gun, quick!" Lapry turned and unleashed a blast of water upon the tree that had been set aflame. Emily growled. "Lapry, use Ice Beam and freeze it in place!" Lapry did as it was told and unleashed a beam of ice upon the Eevee. Its body froze in place and Emily thrust her hand up. "Awesome!"

"Umm..." Kiai spoke and pointed at the Eevee again.

"Hmm?" Emily asked as she looked at it, only to find it had melted the ice and broken free. "Argh! Is there no way to stop this thing? I didn't know Eevee's were such a pain!"

"They usually aren't," a voice spoke and Kiai and Emily turned. Their eyes caught upon a man in a black outfit. He was grinning and they both knew exactly who this was, the red R on his shirt was the giveaway. It was Team Rocket. The grin on Kiais face vanished in an instant. He calmly drew out a pokeball from his belt, and bounced it on the ground. Raticate immediately popped out, ready for action. Kiai met the man's eyes, and gazed hard, daring him to make a move. The grunt gave a chuckle. "So, what do you think of our latest experiment? Our leader is always looking for new ways to power up Pokemon."

"What did you do to that Eevee?" Emily shouted.

"We implanted it with a special device that activates its unstable DNA," the grunt spoke. "It's a wonderful little device, makes the Eevee able to switch between any of its four forms at will. Certainly makes it a difficult adversary, doesn't it?" Emily growled. "Oh, and that's not even the best part. With this technology we may be able to tap into its other forms as well."

"Other forms?" Emily asked.

"Umbreon, Espeon, Glaceon, and Leafeon," the grunt spoke. "Four new forms that were discovered by Professors Elm and Rowan. It seems that, when Eevee comes in contact with certain things in the Sinnoh region, it can evolve into Leafeon and Glaceon. And if you're friendly enough with it, the Eevee is said to evolve into either Espeon or Umbreon depending on the time of day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could make it change between all of those forms at will?"

Kiai kept his cool gaze at the man. "It wouldn't matter. Power isn't in ability, it's in what you do with it. And since you demonstrated this creature against someone who can barely be called a trainer and won, I can safely say you have demonstrated a lack of power. Mental power."

The last phrase threw off Team Rockets cockiness. "Why you… little… punk… Eevee, teach that brats rat a lesson!" Eevee's red fur immediately changed to a spiky yellow, and a bolt of lightning spat out at Raticate. Raticate blurred away, and appeared a foot off to the side, a scorch mark was left on the ground where it the bolt hit. The man ground his teeth. "You think you're so hot…Eevee, Pin Missle!" The sharp spiny hairs on Jolteon's chest shot out at Raticate, who again blurred to the side, and the needles stuck into the ground, quivering. "Flareon! Fire Dance!" Jolteon's fur burned a bright red, and it blew out a massive wave of fire. A small pocket of air appeared as Raticate leapt through it in a splintered second, and landed safely, unscathed.

"VAPOREON! ICE BEAM!" Before the fire had finished coming out of its mouth, Vaporeon shot a beam of blistering cold at Raticate, who again, simply stepped out of the way. The man's face turned as red as the fire, and Kiai simply gazed at him, nonplussed. "This is impossible…this is impossible! You can't possibly win! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!"

Kiai spoke softly, "I told you. You failed to think, so you failed to win."

The grunt twitched, as he furrowed his brow in intense thought. Finally his face lightened. "Haha…yes, very clever boy…I expected to beat you with power, when you had speed on your side. Well that won't happen now. Eevee, Quick Attack!" The blue fur vanished again into the soft brown of Eevee, who dashed toward Raticate at a blistering speed. There was a resounding *THUD* as Eevee hit, and bounced off of Raticates chest, nearly fainting.

Kiai grinned. "Yes, but you can't beat my power with your speed."

"WHAT?!" the grunt shouted and roared. "You're dead meat, boy. I swear, this isn't the last you've seen of Team Rocket!" He pulled out a small device and with a push of a button, the man seemed to vanish into thin air.

"Wow..." Emily spoke, staring. She turned, noticing the Eevee had taken quite a beating and was nearly knocked out. "Come here, little fella." She picked the Eevee up and held it close. "I'm going to put you inside a pokeball, then we're going to take you back to the Pokemon Center, okay?" She pulled out her Luxury Ball and touched it to the Eevee's forehead. The Eevee was absorbed in, and it didn't even put up a fight once the ball closed. The seal locked on the ball, showing the Eevee had been caught. "We should hurry to the Pokemon Center. Maybe they can do something about this device that Team Rocket put into the Eevee."

Kiai nodded. "Lets go then." They turned and took the short walk back into Vermillion City, and went immediately to the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy looked up to see them, and was somewhat surprised, seeing as how they just left. However, when she saw the way Emily was cradling the Luxary Ball, she hurried around the desk, followed closely by the hospitals Chancy.

Emily explained everything and Nurse Joy gave a nod. Quickly, she snatched up the ball and rushed off to the emergency ward. Emily and Kiai then sat there, outside the room. She looked down, sadness on her face. What if there was no way to fix it? What if the Eevee was stuck like that? What if the Nurse and her had been too late to even save the poor creature. Tears welled up in her eyes as the worry ran through her mind.

"Oh don't be such a crybaby." Kiai put his arm around Emily and gave her a rough noogie. "This isn't the first time you rescued a pokemon from Team Rocket, and even if Eevee can't return to normal, Goldy turned out ok, didn't he? So don't worry about it." He smiled softly at her.

Emily looked up. He was right. Both Goldy and Shellshocker had turned out fine, and they had been infected by the Pokerus. Maybe, even if this Eevee couldn't be saved from the device, it would still be okay. She sniffled and wiped her tears. "Thanks," she spoke, smiling and hugging Kiai. "I don't know what I would do without you..."

"I shudder to think." He grinned and held her close to him. They sat like that for some time, until Nurse Joy walked back out with the Luxary Ball on a tray. "I'm afraid Team Rocket has once again gone beyond medical science…but I've analyzed her as best I could, and she otherwise seems in the best of health. She should be fine, but causing her to transform too much may put too much stress on her body, so be careful."

Emily nodded. "I understand, I'll do my best to keep from making it transform constantly." She took the Luxury Ball and gave a bow to Nurse Joy, who bowed in return. "Well, I guess we should try journeying again. Our paths are either to Lavender Town, or to Celadon, supposing we don't get lost trying to go in either direction." She looked down at the Luxury Ball and sighed. "First the Pokerus and now this...what other schemes does Team Rocket got in the works? Something else that will force evolutions? Another Eevee project?"

"Who knows? But if we keep going at this rate, you're going to end up with all of their pokemon." He grinned and nudged Emily playfully.

Emily giggled. "Well, I'll definitely take them if it means saving innocent Pokemon from the hands of those tyrants. Team Rocket makes me sick." She held up the Luxury Ball. "Now...you need a name...but then, so does Kabutops..." She pulled out Kabutops' pokeball as well and looked them over. "Kabutops...will you still not listen to me, I wonder?" She sighed and put away Kabutops' pokeball. "So, what should I nickname my Eevee?"

"Eevee." Emily looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "What? You know I don't nickname my pokemon. That's the best you're gonna get out of me, short of Eevaporeojoltaflareon."

"Hmph, you're no fun." Emily put the Luxury Ball back on her belt. "So...off to Lavender Town, I guess? We still haven't caught your Ghost pokemon after all. And I guess with Eevee, my team is full now since I've got six pokemon."

"Team…so are you still going to try being a trainer?" asked Kiai. They once again set out down the road to the east. Ahead of them lay the unbroken fields and gentle rolling hills, and the road which would lead them to Lavender Town. As they walked, Kiai's eyes kept wandering through the tall grass, looking for pokemon.

Emily nodded. "In the end, everything you can be boils down to being a Pokemon Trainer. I do enjoy breeding and taking care of my Pokemon more then fighting with them...but...I already have three badges. I see no point in throwing away all the work. Maybe, once we've finished our tour here in Kanto, and we've fought in the league...maybe then I'll go about another path. For now, though, I'll keep fighting. I won't stop until I've achieved victory or can't possibly continue on any further."

Kiai nodded, his face a little more serious now. "Well up until now I've been treating you like someone who wasn't sure what they wanted. Now that you've chosen a path, I will treat you differently. No more going easy or hard on you during a battle. From now on, I'll be by your side, all the way."

Emily smiled. "All right." They then continued on their way, but neither knew of the dangers that lurked just ahead.


	16. Hypnotic Hypno

**Chapter 16: Hypnotic Hypno**

Kiai and Emily continued their journey down Route 11. Emily pulled out her Luxury Ball to look at it for a moment. "Pokemon caught in the Luxury Ball become friendly with you really quickly. That's what Amy said in her note. I wonder how quickly and how it works." She tossed the ball forward, releasing her Eevee. At once, the Eevee rushed over to her and snuggled against her. Emily giggled. "Apparently really quickly." Shellshocker gave a jealous glare.

Kiai leaned down and stroked Eevee's soft fur as she nuzzled Emily's shin. "Maybe you should put Kabutops in there for a few turns, eh?"

Emily giggled. "It would probably work if you could do something like that. Still, I'll eventually earn Kabutops respect...one day..." She looked out to the sea side. "It's been one hell of a long day...We battled Surge, then battled a Team Rocket experiment...and Team Rocket...their still running as we can see...What if that means Giovanni is still alive? I know we all saw Mt. Moon crumble on top of their base...but we made it out alive...whose to say he didn't as well?"

"A slippery bastard like that wouldn't go down from just a mountain falling down on top of him. I think we're going to have to knock out Team Rocket from the ground up. The head simply has too much strength." A warm sea breeze blew through the tall grasses and made the plains ripple. A few seagulls danced on the wind some distance away toward the sea. The dirt road wove through the grasses and hills, following the sea coast.

Emily and Kiai continued walking along the path that went out before them. At points the path would twist and curve, but they continued following it all the same. It took some time, about the rest of the day, before they had made it to the end of the path and onto the long bridge that connected their path with Lavender Town to the north and Fuschia City to the south. "Well, here's the fork. To Lavender Town?"

Kiai held his hand up to the setting sun. The fields around them had become a deep gold, and a wave of tiredness suddenly drifted over them. The gentle crashing of the waves only intensified the effect. "We've only got an hour or so left of light…and I don't want to walk into Lavender at night. Lets camp here off the path, and hit it up first thing in the morning."

"You realize, of course, that no matter what time of day you enter Lavender Town, Lavender Tower is always enshrouded in night..."

"It's psychological…besides, I'm really tired for some reason…aren't you?" Kiai sat down at the side of the path. The path behind, and the bridge, were completely clear of people.

"Well, now that you mention it..." Emily yawned and stretched. "I am feeling pretty tired."

The two of them began their nightly routine. Emily cleared the area and pulled out some food while Kiai walked into the nearby trees to gather firewood. He came back with an armload, holding the pocket flashlight in his mouth. He dropped them on the area Emily had cleared, them plopped down with a grunt. "It's funny…" he said, as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes, "I'm never usually this tired…maybe we just had a very busy day." He yawned, and pulled out a lighter, then began to sort the wood.

"Yeah, I know what you mean..." Emily rubbed her eyes. "I feel exhausted...we had a busy day, sure...but I don't understand why we'd be this tired."

"Hey!" a voice suddenly shouted and Emily turned. There she saw a man rushing over to them. In one hand was a fishing pole and in the other was a tackle box. She then noticed the outfit looked much like a typical fisherman's outfit, including the hat with lures all around it.

"Can we help you, sir?" Emily asked.

"Don't sleep here. Don't you know that during the night this is Drowzee territory? If you stick here, you'll be put to sleep by those Drowzee!"

Kiai looked at Emily, a look of dawning realization spreading across both their faces. Kiai's tiredness left him in an instant. "That's not normal behavior for a Drowzee," he spoke, looking up at the fisherman, who shook his head.

"It isn't, they usually keep to themselves, or visit the city at night. For about a month, though, any traveler out in these parts at night wakes up the next morning with no money and no pokemon…and usually, not where they went to sleep. No one knows why. The police are baffled."

"Could it be another Team Rocket plot? Stealing Pokemon sounds like their kind of thing...and the money would just be an extra bonus..." Emily then looked down as she thought for a moment. "But then...that does bring up the question how they get the funding for the things they do..."

"I dunno, little girl." said the fisherman, shaking his head, rattling the lures attached to the brim. "Alls the people know is that the victims always get very tired before it happens, and no one has seen a lone Drowzee since it started. You two look like trainers, so you better head back to the city while you still got some light."

Kiai shook his head. "Yeah…thanks, we'll clear up and head right on back." The fisherman smiled and nodded, and went on his way. Kiai made no move to pack up.

"If it is a Team Rocket plot...we can't let it keep going..." Emily spoke as she turned back to Kiai. "However, we also can't just stay here...they probably won't make a move unless we fall asleep...but if we fall asleep...we can't do anything about them..." She looked up at the sky. "And then...there's the thought of whether it might not be a Team Rocket plot...it could be something else...but it sure sounds like something they'd do..."

Kiai nodded, still idly setting the fire up. "Yes…using the habits of the Drowzee to waylay strangers…it's clever." He flicked the lighter, and lit the tinder underneath the sticks. It slowly burned, and smoke began to billow up. "Get out two sodas, we'll use the caffeine to stay awake. They'll try to ambush us…so we'll ambush them."

Emily nodded and did as instructed. She then turned to Shellshocker, who she now noticed had already fallen asleep. "The Drowzee are getting to our Pokemon already..." She looked out to the route around her. "Where would the Drowzee be hiding? They couldn't be too far away if they're putting us to sleep, right? Or could they be...if this was Team Rocket...they'd probably build some sort of machine to carry the Drowzee's Hypnosis over a large area while keeping the Drowzee at a distance...This also brings up the question of how people know it's Drowzee if everyone has been put to sleep by them..."

"Either that or they're modified, like Kabutops or Golduck…or they have a lot of them. We can protect our pokemon by keeping them in their balls. I know Shelly doesn't like it, but if you want him to sleep, that's fine. You do have others." Kiai cracked open a soda and took a drink. "We'll lie down in our sleeping bags in a few minutes…they'll probably hit us as soon as they think we're asleep."

Emily nodded. "I understand." She opened her soda and took a drink as well. She then turned to Shellshocker and looked at him for a moment. She pet his shell and he shifted a little in his sleep. "Team Rocket...I thought we'd be rid of them by now...but they keep popping up..."

"Ash was dealing with them his entire career, and probably still is. I'm sure we aren't the only ones…there must be hundreds or thousands of trainers out there who deal with Team Rocket. We're just two needles in a haystack." He peered into the fire, holding the soda loosely in his hand. The growing flames flickered red on his face.

"I know...and we can't forget what Ash told us about Teams Aqua, Magma, and Galactic and all the trouble they caused him, too...luckily he beat those ones...Team Rocket, though, seem to have a harder goal to beat then them..." Emily sighed. "Not much we can do I guess...we just have to hope someone, someday will take down Team Rocket for good..."

"Maybe us." said Kiai simply. He took another drink and pushed his rolled up sleeping bag. It unraveled into the grass and he sat on top of it, still gazing at the fire. His eyebrows began to sink as a look of concentration slowly grew. Emily watched him, she could almost see the ideas churning. She knew he was planning the battle.

"Maybe, I mean, Ash took down three different teams, so I don't see any reason why we couldn't take down one...but then...even Ash hasn't been able to take down Team Rocket...makes me wonder how much more powerful Team Rocket is then the others..." Emily drank more of her soda then set it down. She unrolled her sleeping bag, then sat down on it just as Kiai had done. "Got a plan for how to deal with them, yet?"

"If it was just one…we'd figure out their trick…if they had many…fighting many pokemon at once is damn near impossible…there are ways, but…we don't have any really good defense against psychic attacks, except for my Butterfree and your Golduck, but even they aren't invincible…maybe speed…or avoiding it entirely.."

"Maybe...but if the best option is to avoid it...then staying here to try and deal with it won't help much..." Emily sighed and looked around once more. "I just hope that, when they attack us, if we can't fight, we'll be able to escape..."

Kiai grumbled, "I'd rather die than run away from Team Rocket." He took a long draw from his soda and sighed deep. "Do your best to pretend to sleep. Try not to move, breathe deep, slow and keep a steady pace." He looked up into the deep violet sky, the stars were starting to shine brightly. "They know we're here," he whispered, "they'll be on us as soon as we lay down." Emily nodded and drank what was left of her soda. From there, she climbed into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

Kiai sat watching the fire for a bit longer, occasionally glancing at Emily. After a moment, he too finished the last of his soda and slipped into his sleeping bag. The last thing he did before he closed his eyes was reach into his belt and grasp a few of his pokeballs.

Kiai closed his eyes and let his body relax. He snuggled into his sleeping bag and waited, letting the energy from the soda fuel his body. His sharp ears twitched at the slightest sound, and even though he tried to stay relaxed, his muscles were tense, as if he was ready to pounce. Eventually he heard it: footsteps, many of them, very small, very light. He didn't know what to make of it until they got closer and he heard the distinctive chant: "Droowwwzzeee...Drrooowwwzzzeee..." He remained perfectly still as he heard the footsteps on the grass turn into footsteps on the beaten dirt path. He felt many small hands begin to unzip his sleeping bag, and he heard the same for Emily.

The moment the cool night air hit his hand, he slammed it down, releasing his pokemon. "Butterfree, Fearow, duel Gust attack!" Both pokemon emerged from their balls with a blast of air, and most of the dozen or so Drowzee were sent rolling into the grass. The remaining ones immediately began a sleeping attack on Butterfree and Fearow, and the effect was almost immediate. "Fearow! Fly up, out of range! Emily…help!"

Emily quickly jumped out of her sleeping bag, tossing two of her pokeballs to the ground. Goldy and Eevee were both released in an instant. "Goldy, use Hyper Beam quick! Jolteon, use Thunder!" In an instant, Eevee switched to Jolteon and sparks began to move across its body. A moment later, it unleashed a huge electrical blast forward at the Drowzee. Goldy on the other hand unleashed a huge blast of energy from his forehead at the Drowzee around Kiai. However, with its energy used up in a single attack, the remaining Drowzee's Hypnosis quickly made it collapse asleep. "Goldy!"

Kiai scrambled out of his sleeping back, going so far as to kick a Drowsee that was trying to grab at his belt. He recalled Butterfree, who was fast asleep and being carried away. He hopped over the small fire to Emily's side, tossing out another pokemon. "Magikarp! Splash attack!" Magikarp flopped around a bit, and most of the Drowzee looked at it intently. The distraction worked. Goldy and Jolteon were able to shake off the sleep, though Goldy was still weakened from its Hyper Beam. Kiai took that moment to quickly survey the battle.

Kiai clipped Butterfree back onto his belt, and quickly fingered the rest of his pokeballs to make sure they were all there. He counted at least a dozen Drowzee forming half of a ring around them, all of them advancing out of the tall grass which grew off of the path and led to the forest. They were all using Hypnosis now, though Goldy was beginning to use its own psychic abilities to defend itself and Jolteon. Magikarp flopped about aimlessly, despite holding the attention of at least 4 Drowzee. The Hypnosises were hitting the group hard.

Kiai fought to stay awake, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Emily nodding. He bit his lip hard in frustration, completely ignorant on what to do against such a powerful and organized onslaught. In desperation, he called Raticate out. "Raticate, use your Agility and attack fast!" Raticate landed on the ground and immediately dashed off to the attack. Between Raticate, Goldy and Jolteon, the Drowzee started to get knocked out, but once Magikarp flopped its last and the four turned onto the others, victory faded fast. Emily leaned against Kiai with her eyes closed, the rest could barely stand. Kiai's eyes fluttered, he spoke to himself, "Not yet…!" as he dropped one knee to the ground. Goldy had fallen asleep, and the Drowzee were beginning to slowly pull it and Magikarp away.

Jolteon struggled to fight to keep itself awake. It shifted quickly into Flareon, but even the evolution wouldn't help it. Suddenly, however, it was as if the moon decided to beat down directly upon Flareon and its body began to glow. It seemed to shift back into it's Eevee form, but a moment later, evolution became obvious. It's ears seemed to shift becoming longer and it's tail seemed to go from bushy to rather straight. It grew taller by a few inches as the evolution was completed and the light vanished from its body. However, in the darkness of the night, the new creature had completely vanished from sight.

A moment later, and one of the Drowzee's dropped to the ground, as if struck by an unseen foe. The Drowzees turned, focusing to concentrate on this new enemy, but in the dark of the night, the creature seemed completely invisible. Another was knocked out quickly, and the Drowzees began to panic. They could not see their enemy, and more were falling left and right. "Drowzee drow!" one of the Drowzee spoke and unleashed a huge psychic blast in a random direction, but the attack only struck a tree, ripping it down. "Drow drowzee!" This time three of them attacked, each in a different direction, but their attacks still seemed as if they had missed their targets. With another quick move, another Drowzee was knocked down. Then it was seen, several small golden rings seemed to shine out in the darkness and the Drowzee pointed forward. They concentrated their attacks, but the rings shot off, too quick for their strike. In an instant, the rings had also vanished, leaving the Drowzee once again in disarray, unsure of what to do, or where their target had gone.

Kiai's drowsiness left him as soon as the Drowzee became confused. He recalled Magikarp and wrapped an arm around Emily to support her. His mind was beginning to work again. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and muttered to himself, "This is not random…something or someone is behind this…if only…YES!" He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out his flashlight. He flicked it on and pointed it in the direction of the woods. A small, round ring, swinging back and forth, flickered in the din. "I knew it! FEAROW! HIT THAT HYPNO!" From out of the velvet sky flew a large shape at great speed. It landed hard, beak first, into the holder of the swinging ring. There was a loud crack and a thud, and with all that remained of his strength and hope, Kiai threw a pokeball. The Drowzee blinked a few times and lowered their arms, as if they had come out of a great spell. A few wandered back into the grass, others sat right down and began sleeping.

Emily groaned as she felt the sleepiness of the Drowzee wear off. Her eyes opened slowly and she slowly stumbled to stand up. "What...happened...?" she rubbed her eyes and yawned tiredly. Kiai went to speak, but he was interrupted by the sound of unseen footsteps. Kiai turned and from the darkness stepped a black creature. The creature had a golden ring around each of its ears and its tail and also had a golden ring on its forehead and the sides of all four of its legs. It's eyes were a deep red in color, and its fur seemed rather smooth against its body. Kiai pulled out his pokedex.

"Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee," the pokedex spoke, "it is said that when exposed to the moon's aura, the rings on its body glow faintly and it gains a mysterious power."

"Umbreon, huh?" He held Emily as she slowly brought herself out of his arm. "Looks like we learned what was behind the Drowzee attacks, or at least we will soon." Noticing that she was having trouble standing, he led her over to her sleeping back and helped her sit. Umbreon followed, and placed its head in her lap. Kiai recalled the sleeping Goldy for Emily and handed the pokeball to her. As she shook off her sleep and looked at Umbreon, Kiai walked off into the tall grass, stepping over the few remaining Drowzee who were fast asleep, with a tired but determined Raticate at his heels.

"Umbreon, huh?" Emily gently pet Umbreon and it smiled. "You were my Eevee, weren't you?" Umbreon nodded. "Did you evolve to protect me?" Umbreon nodded once more and nuzzled against Emily. "You really like me, huh?" Emily pulled out her pokedex to look up Umbreon. She made a note of the fact that an Umbreon evolution required the pokemon to be very close with its trainer, and for it to be night. "What an interesting pokemon Eevees are. Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Umbreon. Can they evolve into more I wonder?" She returned to petting her Umbreon while she also looked up at Kiai. "So, what caused all of that? And how long was I out?"

"I'll let you know in a moment," spoke Kiai. He walked through the grass, his eyes trained on the spot he was pointing his flashlight at. He approached it with caution, until the grass gave way to the less dense forest floor. There stood Fearow, proudly pruning its feathers with its long beak, standing over a pokeball. There was nothing else to be seen. Kiai grasped it with a grin. "Good show, but not good enough." Emily was gently stroking Umbreon when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Kiai walking out of the darkness into the low light of their fire. He was still triumphantly holding the pokeball, and Fearow was perched on his shoulder. "The answers to your questions are in here. Hypno!" He tossed the pokeball, and the Hypno popped out of it. It was decidedly worse for the wear, having taken a direct hit from a Fearow. It took a defensive stance, an odd reaction for a pokemon with a trainer.

"A wild Hypno caused all of this?" Emily asked and Umbreon looked up, its eyes seemed to show it was ready to fight if it needed to. Emily slowly stood to her feet, noticing the Hypno's stance. "I wonder if it's okay..." She reached her hand forward towards the Hypno.

The Hypno took a step back and aimed its defensive stance toward Emily. A low mumbling began to flow from it, and its eyes burned with hatred. "Stop," commanded Kiai. The mumbling ceased, but Hypno did not relax its stance. Kiai stood before it with his arms crossed. Fearow gazed intently at it, eager to show off its prowess again in Round 2, Raticate hissed softly, its hair stood on end. Several minutes passed, neither Hypno nor Kiai moved or blinked.

Finally Kiai spoke, "You had a reason for this." The muscles in Hypnos face relaxed a bit, and Kiai knew he was right. "I'll make you a deal. Use your Hypnosis to explain to me your past, and I'll let you read my mind to see your future. If, after all that, you still wish to leave, I'll set you free, and never trouble you again." spoke Kiai.

Hypno's body slowly relaxed, and it held out its pendulum at Kiai. It began swinging without any movement, and a disembodied "Hypnnooo.." filled the air. Kiai's eyes closed, and he saw visions flash through his mind of a Drowzee being laughed at and kicked and, ultimately, left behind by a cruel trainer. He felt the great pain of a broken heart, the kind that comes when a bond of trust is shattered. He then felt a probing into his deepest desires, and he didn't stop it.

Many images that were well known to him, and him alone, were wrenched to the surface and gazed upon. He felt violated, especially when images of Emily came up, but he didn't stop it. Finally one image lingered, an image of Kiai as a pokemon champion, but sharing his glory with the pokemon that helped him get there. Kiai was filled with a wonderful warmth, then a desire, and he knew that Hypno was feeling the same thing. The probing broke, and Kiai woke up lying on his sleeping bag. Hypno was relaxed now, with no evil in its eyes. If anything, Kiai could swear he saw a tear.

"You're finally awake," Emily spoke, smiling. "After Hypno put you to sleep last night, you slept the night away. Since you didn't wake up right away either, I made breakfast today." The look on Kiai's face went grim. It had been some time since he had had Emily's cooking, but if she was as bad as back then, he knew breakfast wouldn't be pleasing. He had never had the heart to tell her that she was so bad at cooking, though.

Kiai decided to try changing the subject. "I learned what happened with those Drowzee. It seems Hypno here used to belong to a trainer, but was abused by it. I'm guessing it swore revenge on all trainers, and used the Drowzee to exact that revenge. What a sad life." Emily nodded sympathetically and, much to Kiai's trepidation, handed him a small plate of what looked like yellow slime and charcoal, but Kiai knew better as bacon and eggs.

"It is sad...to hear trainers are abusing their pokemon...They are living creatures..." Emily turned to the Hypno and sighed. "It really is sad...How could people possibly do such terrible things to such wonderful creatures?" She turned and pet her Umbreon, who was still out of its pokeball. It's golden rings seemed to shine in the sun, but only as a reflection. They seemed much more alive and beautiful at night. "Umbreon can't go back to its other forms now that it's evolved," Emily spoke somewhat randomly. "We won't be seeing Eevee, Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon again." She picked up her Umbreon and smiled at it. "But that's okay, I'm happy to have Umbreon, too." She turned to Kiai, noticing he hadn't taken a bite of his food. "Not hungry?"

"Ah…no…I…er…got a lot on my mind!" spoke Kiai, handing the plate back to Emily.

"Well, all right..." Emily set the plate down and Umbreon quickly snatched it up and rushed off. "Umbreon must be hungry...she keeps taking every plate I make once everyone else is done eating..." Emily had no clue Umbreon was really taking it into the woods and burying it.

"Smart pokemon…" mumbled Kiai.

"Hmm?" Emily spoke, looking up at him.

"Nothing! Nothing, just mumbling." Kiai looked over at the Hypno. It was sitting in a lotus position, its hands in its lap. Its pendulum was hovering and swinging over its upturned palms, and it was floating an inch off of the ground. When Kiai looked at it, it seemed to come out of its trance and looked back at him. They gazed at each other for a few seconds, and Kiai felt no probing, nor saw any amount of distrust in its eyes. He held out a pokeball and spoke, "Return, Hypno!" Hypno zapped back into the pokeball. "Good…you too, Fearow and Raticate." He recalled both of them, and clipped them both securely to his belt.

Emily smiled and stood to her feet as well. "Well, I guess we make our way to Lavender Town now. Should be straight north once we hit the Route 12 bridge." She turned to see Umbreon rushing back a smile on its face. "Return, Umbreon." Umbreon zapped into its ball and she placed it on her belt. Shellshocker then rushed over to her side.

Kiai spread the ashes of their fire and together they cleaned up their campsite. It was still early when they finished, they walked down the path together toward the Route 12 bridge, which was visible against the glittering water in the distance. There was a cool breeze blowing in from the ocean, and the sun was warm. It took them only an hours hike to reach the bridge, and the wind blew strong against them when they reached it. Several Fishermen were already there, casting lures or waiting next to poles, or chatting amongst themselves. Kiai grinned to himself as they passed the ones from last night without being noticed.

"Lavender Town..." Emily spoke as they walked the bridge. "I wonder what it's going to be like...Ash said that the tower was shrouded in darkness, made it seem like it was night, even in the middle of the day. I also heard there's a big Pokemon Mausoleum there...it was designed for anyone to go to if their Pokemon died..." Emily pulled out one of her pokeballs and looked at it. "I don't know what I'd do if any of my Pokemon died..."

Kiai looked at Emily, and for a brief moment, was hit with images of his own pokemon…but he took a sharp breath and spoke confidently, "Well I won't have to worry about that, me and my pokemon will never die!" He grinned mischeviously at Emily.

Emily giggled a little. "Well, I'm sure you've got at least another ninety years on you, but not forever." She hugged Kiai. "No matter how mortal you are, though, I still love you."

Kiai hugged her back, "Well love is immortal, so chew on that." He smiled as he felt Emily giggle and nuzzle into his chest. The two kissed, then continued on their way towards Lavender Town.


	17. The Cosplay Trainer, Mana

**Chapter 17: The Cosplay Trainer, Mana**

Emily and Kiai continued on their adventure through Route 12 when they heard the sounds of footsteps behind them. A moment later and they stopped, but a voice spoke out. "Hey, you two, you guys Pokemon trainers?" Emily peeked over Kiai's shoulder to see a girl dressed in a rather strange outfit. The outfit was a white dress that had a set of straps that went around her arms with white fabric coming down a little of her arms. The dress ended above her knees and she had a belt around her waist that looked to be formed of gold fabric. A small crown-like hat made of white fabric sat upon her long brown hair and she wore a pair of sandals on her feet.

"Yeah, and you are?" Emily asked.

"My name is Mana," the girl spoke, "or at least, that's what I want people to call me."

Emily tited her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Mana sighed. "Simple, I love dressing up like my favorite TV characters. This particular character I'm dressed as happens to be named Mana."

"And you want people to call you Mana because of that?" Emily asked. Mana nodded.

"Exactly."

"That makes no sense..."

"That makes perfect sense," spoke Kiai.

Emily turned to him and replied, "No it doesn't, not at all."

Kiai looked back and said, quite simply, "Sense is made by those who see it. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there."

"So it makes sense to you?"

"No, not a bloody lick. Doesn't mean it's not there though." Emily took a moment to figure that one out and Kiai spoke to Mana. "Yes, we indeed are Pokemon trainers, the both of us. Why do you ask?"

"I'm looking for a battle, that's all. I'm getting ready to head down to Fuschia City, so I thought I'd test my skills on any trainers I met here on the way down." Mana pulled out a pokeball. "How about it? We can do this one on one, or we can have a tag battle, you two against me. I don't care which."

Kiai grinned. "Well I think that would be completely unfair to you, Mana, so why don't you and Emily play and I'll just sit this one out~"

"Well, whatever you want." Mana shrugged.

"Training sounds good," Emily spoke and nodded. "But I'm not letting you out of it, mister." She pulled on Kiai's ear. "So let's battle." She turned to Mana. "How do you want to do this?"

Mana smiled. "Well do this with four pokemon a side. Each of you can pick two. One pokemon at a time, meaning one trainer at a time. You can switch at any time, even between trainers. Same goes with me. Sound fair?"

"Sounds good," spoke Kiai. "Do you want to draw first, or shall I?"

"You go first," Emily spoke. She then stepped back so Kiai could get in position.

Mana smirked. "Give me your best," she spoke and jumped into the air, tossing her pokeball down. "Let's go, Abra!" she shouted and the small pokemon appeared. It seemed to just sit there with its long legs sticking out in front of it and its arms out at the sides of it. What seemed to be a small suit of brown armor covered its chest, and it had fox-like ears with a long nose as well as a long tail. It also seemed to be asleep. Emily pulled out her pokedex.

"Abra, the psi Pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Using its psychic power is such a strain on its brain that it needs to sleep for 18 hours a day."

"Sleeps for 18 hours a day?"

"Nice, good starter. Abra has powers that belie its calm and adorable appearance. It does have its share of weaknesses, however, and I know what they are. Lets fight fire with fire, Hypno!" Kiai thew his pokeball, and Hypno appeared on the bridge, holding its pendulum. "You first, my lady," he spoke, with a small, polite bow to Mana.

"Abra, use Hidden Power!" Mana shouted. Six small orbs soon formed around Abra's hand and began to swirl around. A moment later, they launched off towards Hypno.

"Damn, good move.. Hypno, you can take it, Headbutt!" Hypno charged forward with great speed, hitting the orbs head-on and and ramming right through into the small Abra, sending it tumbling.

"Abra!" Mana shouted. She turned back to Kiai. "That's not going to stop us. I was sixteenth place in the Johto league last year! Abra, first use Calm Mind to power yourself up, then hit it with Psychic!" Abra brought its hands together for a moment, then held its hands out. It's eyes opened, revealing a purple glow as Abra unleashed a rather powerful Psychic blast at Hypno.

"Counter it, Hypno! Psychic!" Hypno began chanting, and a purple glow emanated from its swinging pendulum. The two Psychic blasts met, and Hypno was pushed back but not by much, and the Abra didn't move at all. "Nice, thank you for that. Hypno, lets try this again, only with a bit more oomph. Meditate, then Headbutt again!" Hypno closed its eyes and took a deep, long breath. A moment passed, then it opened its eyes and dashed at the Abra with great speed and strength, sending it flying.

"Abra!" Mana shouted as her Abra went flying into the air. It crashed onto the bridge a moment later, looking completely knocked out. "Rrr...damn it, return!" Abra zapped back into its pokeball and Mana sighed, then smiled. "Hey, that was great!" She put Abra away. "Let's see you handle this one, though." She twirled for a moment, then tossed her pokeball. "Go, Espeon!" she shouted. The small pokemon appeared, having a shining green coat of fur. It's ears were pointy, and it had a tail that split into two near the end. A small red orb sat ontop of its head. "I got this off a Rocket Grunt in Johto. Evolved it right from an Eevee myself."

"Another Eeveelution?" Emily asked and pulled out her pokedex.

"Espeon, the sun pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Its fur is so sensitive, it can sense minute shifts in the air and predict the weather."

"Cool!" Emily smiled. "Let me battle this one, Kiai!" She pulled out her Luxury Ball. "I want to test Umbreon out."

"Good thing too, Hypno wasn't going to go for another round. Return!" Hypno zapped back into its pokeball after rubbing its head, it was decidedly worse for the wear, but standing. "It's all yours," he spoke to Emily.

"All right, Eeveelution versus Eeveelution. Go, Umbreon!" Emily shouted and tossed the Luxury Ball forward.

"Oh, so you evolved an Eevee, too?" Mana asked. "Looks like you evolved yours at night."

"Just last night, actually," Emily spoke and Mana smirked.

"Then it should be easy to beat. Espeon, Psybeam!"

"Umbreon, dodge it!" Emily shouted as the orb on Espeon's head began to glow, soon unleashing a huge blast of purple energy. Umbreon, however, stood its ground and took the full force of the attack. It was pushed back a little, but seemed mostly unharmed. Emily quickly pulled out her pokedex and pushed a few buttons. "Psychic moves are ineffective to dark types?" she asked, then looked at Mana. "Awesome! Go Umbreon, use Faint Attack!" Umbreon rushed forward, moving back and forth at rather quick speeds.

"Espeon, dodge it!" Mana shouted, but Umbreon was rushing around it too quickly and unpredictably. In an instant, Umbreon rushed forward and struck Espeon, sending it flying into the water. "Espeon!" A moment later and Espeon surfaced and quickly jumped back up onto the bridge, shaking its fur. "You got Espeon all wet...now, Espeon, Quick Attack!" Espeon shot forward and hit Umbreon hard.

"Umbreon, Confuse Ray!" Umbreon quickly regained its composure and its eyes flashed. Espeon's eyes began to swirl as it became confused and began to lash out at anything around it. "Now, Faint Attack again!" Umbreon moved quickly once more and struck Espeon, knocking it into the water again.

"Espeon!" Mana shouted once more, then watched as Espeon floated, looking obviously knocked out. "Wow...two in a row...return!" Espeon zapped back into its pokeball and Mana smiled. "You guys are pretty good so far." She pulled out another pokeball. "I'll have to try something a little different. Time to come out, Missy!" She tossed the pokeball forward and much to Emily and Kiai's surprise, a small ghost pokemon appeared. It's head and hair made up most of its body, and a small necklace was around its neck. There wasn't much else to it at all. "Meet Misdreavus. This may sound hard to believe, but this was my starter pokemon. My Dad caught it for me."

Kiai held up his pokedex. "Misdreavus, a Ghost pokemon which frightens people and feeds off of their fears."

"Nice. Emily, I'm taking this one. Gotta warm up for Lavender Town." Emily nodded and recalled Umbreon, Kiai stepped forward. "I caught Hypno to fight the ghosts, but I can't use that now, so I'll have to do something different. hmm.." He spent a few moments thinking, then grinned. "Might as well take a chance. Get in there, Magikarp!" Kiai threw his pokeball, and much to everyone's surprise, a flopping Magikarp popped out.

Mana stared at Kiai with a strange look. She couldn't imagine someone was actually bothering to train such a useless pokemon, but not only that, but he was using it to fight her. "Magikarp? What the hell are you thinking?" She shook her head. "You had a chance to use something good, but this is what you give me to fight? Pathetic...Missy, just...take it out..." She waved at Missy, who immediately floated above the flopping Magikarp. "Jeez...the best you could have done was at least toss it in the water...making it flop around on the bridge is just pathetic..." Mana sighed. "Missy, use Psybeam!" Missy's eyes glowed and a huge beam of psychic energy shot forward, striking Magikarp and sending it flying across the bridge. "Now, Shadow Ball!" Missy opened her mouth and unleashed a huge ball of dark energy forward. The ball struck Magikarp, sending it flying into the air. "Psybeam while it's in the sky!" Missy's eyes glowed once more and a huge beam of psychic energy shot up at Magikarp, sending it flying higher, soon splashing into the water below. Mana smirked. "Well, that's it, I suppose. Using such a worthless Pokemon...what were you thinking?"

Kiai looked over the bridge, for the first time a bit of concern in his eyes, the likes of which Emily hadn't seen since their match with Surge. A few tense moments passed before a red shape slowly floated up to the surface and flopped about aimlessly. "Um.. Magikarp, try your Splash attack." spoke Kiai. Magikarp splashed about a bit more violently, sending a few droplets of water into Kiai's face, as well as Missy's. Missy, thoroughly annoyed at the lack of effect her powerful one-two-three punch attack had, dived without command off the bridge and smacked simply tackled Magikarp, who, in grand style, flopped around a bit.

"It's so stupid it doesn't even know how to faint..." Mana spoke and sighed. "Stupid Magikarp...how the hell do they even survive?"

Missy was now thoroughly annoyed. It's eyes began to glow and it unleashed another beam of Psychic energy on Magikarp. This pushed it down into the water, but once the attack was over, it simply flopped back up to the surface once more. "Misdreavus!" Missy shouted. It opened its mouth and unleashed another Shadow Ball upon Magikarp, but it still seemed to have no effect. Missy was now irritated and began simply tackling the Magikarp over and over. Mana just stared, unsure of what she should do.

Kiai watched the spectacle in the water, one eyebrow cocked up. He glanced at Emily and spoke in a low voice, "You know, if this doesn't work, I'm going to feel like an idiot." Misdreavus continued to tackle Magikarp, growing increasingly angry and frustrated, its attacks growing more and more wild and ferocious, however, the thick-skinned and thick-willed fish simply flopped like a fish out of water, despite being well and truly in water.

All of a sudden, Mana shouted, "WAIT! MISSY, STOP!" Encouraged by the ferocity in her trainers voice, Misdreavus stopped cold and stared up. "I know what you're doing," Mana spoke, glaring at Kiai, "You're trying to get your Magikarp to evolve into Gyarados!"

Emily blinked. "So that's it?" She looked up at Kiai. "You're trying to evolve Magikarp by having it fight Misdreavus?"

Missy turned to look at Mana. Her stare seemed to show she was still angry, and perhaps angrier that Mana had even gone so far as to stop her attacks. "Mis misdreavus mis!" Misdreavus shouted.

"Calm down, Missy," Mana spoke as she turned to Magikarp who was still flopping around. "So, tell me, was I right?" she asked as she looked back at Kiai.

Kiai grinned his usual maniacle grin. "Yes, I am indeed trying to do that. So that's the situation you have. What do you plan on doing about it? Do you risk the evolution? Or do you withdraw and forfeit now?" Kiai grinned hard, his eyes digging into Mana's. Missy hovered over the splashing Magikarp, slowly getting wetter, and quickly getting angrier.

Mana bit her lip. He was right. She couldn't quit without forfeiting, and the only other way to get out of the fight was to win, but that would also bring about the chance of Magikarp evolving, and Gyarados was a far more dangerous opponent then a simple, pathetic Magikarp. "You're right...there's no other options..." Mana smirked. "Well, I've never been one to back out of a challenge, so...Missy, take that thing out, no matter what!" At those commands Missy rushed forward and began unleashing Psybeams and Shadow Balls continuously on Magikarp. She was either going to beat that thing down until it fainted, or she'd evolve it and take it out once it became Gyarados. In either case, she wasn't about to forfeit, and she certainly had no intention of loosing.

A muscle in Kiai's eye twitched. Plan A failed, his bluff had been called. Now it was up to Plan B or Plan C: Missy fainted from exhaustion, or Magikarp evolved. Nothing less would result in his victory. However the energetic and very upset ghost-type was showing no signs of relenting. Time and time again, Magikarp was hit with powerful psychic blasts, often being launched clear out of the water. It was, however, beginning to show odd signs of distinctly un-Magikarp-like behavior. It would swim away from impending danger, even turn its stronger flank toward the incoming attacks. It was not, however, evolving.

Mana stared as Missy and Magikarp continued to go at one another. After it had been several minutes and the battle had seemed to go nowhere, she spoke up. "Missy, stop." Missy stopped, turning back to Mana with an even more irate look then before. "It's obvious that Magikarp is too stupid to faint, so we'll have to do something else...I know it's not the best option, but it may guarantee that we at least take out that dumb thing." Missy stared, looking confused. "Missy, use your Perish Song!" Missy turned back to Magikarp and opened her mouth. At once, a horrid sound came from Missy and Emily, Kiai, and Mana quickly covered their ears. "Keep it up, Missy!" Mana shouted as Missy winced in pain, but kept the horrid sound going. The song seemed to be affecting Magikarp as it finally was showing some manner of pain, but not much.

Kiai grimaced as he took one hand off of his ear to punch a few keystrokes into his pokedex, calling up the information on the attack that was being used. After reading it carefully, he decided on one last-ditch hope. He shouted as loud as he could over the noise to the flopping fish, "Magikarp, dive down!" which, miraculously, Magikarp did. It slipped into the water and disappeared into the depths. The noise continued for a few moments, and Missy began to show very serious signs of pain and torment.

"Missy, stop!" Mana shouted over the noise, and Missy closed her mouth. "Sending it underwater was clever. Missy, try Psybeam on it while its underwater!" Missy's eyes glowed and unleashed a beam of energy down into the water, but the attack didn't manage to hit Magikarp. "Fine, float higher into the air and wait for it to resurface." Missy floated higher into the air, her eyes scanning the water. It was now very irate. All it's attacks had done nothing, and now even its Perish Song couldn't reach it. "I guess we get it now...Magikarp has survived this long because it's too stupid to die..."

Kiai bit his lip. He knew Magikarp had no chance of winning in direct combat, but he also knew Mana was smart enough to not give Magikarp the chance to evolve. A thin sliver of blood began to pool around his tooth where it was digging into his flesh, when suddenly, he fell to all fours on the bridge and screamed down into the depths below, "MAGIKARP! USE YOUR ICE BEAM!" A deafening roar bubbled up to the surface, and a beam of crystal blue ice burst through and nicked Missy. "YES!" shouted Kiai, leaping to his feet," Too stupid to die, too stupid to know it had to evolve in order to use an attack!"

Mana stared in surprise. "What? How? That makes no sense!" She sighed and shook her head. "Well, if it's going to be like that...Missy, use Thunder on the water!" Missy looked into the sky and electricity began to spark from its body. "I taught this one to Missy myself." Missy then unleashed a huge bolt of electricity straight down into the water. Mana laughed manically. "That should have done it!" Missy then flopped down to the bridge. "Missy!" She quickly rushed to Missy's side and smiled. "That last attack was too much, huh? Return." Missy zapped back into her pokeball and she turned to see if her attack had finally taken out the stupid Magikarp, or if it was too stupid to faint even from that.

Kiai grinned confidently. "Gyarados, lets see that pretty smile." A mound of water rose up out of the surface, and in a huge splash, a massive Gyarados emerged, roaring triumphantly. "Typical pattern, pokemon trainers know nothing about physics. Gyarados was at the bottom of the ocean. You introduce lightning or sound to that, and no matter what, it's going to disperse so much as to be completely useless by the time it hits the bottom. Gyarados, great job, return!" Gyarados returned to its pokeball, which Kiai snapped onto his belt with a grin, and took a step back so Emily could take her final turn.

"So, you managed to evolve it after all," Mana smiled. "Figures, I knew Magikarp couldn't use Ice Beam." She pulled out a fourth pokeball. "Guess it's time for my last Pokemon, huh?" Mana looked up and tossed the pokeball into the air. "Let's do it, Pichu!" she shouted and the pokeball opened to release a small yellow rat-like pokemon.

Emily opened her pokedex. "Pichu, the tiny mouse Pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "The electric sacs in its cheeks are small. If even a little electricity leaks, it becomes shocked."

"An electric type," Emily spoke and looked at her belt. She only had water types left. She pulled out one of her pokeballs and stared at it, then looked up. "It doesn't usually obey me, but..." She tossed her pokeball forward. "Go, Kabutops!" she shouted, unleashing the rock-water type pokemon.

"Kabutops?" Mana asked. "So, there are still some in existence?"

Emily shook her head. "This one was brought back to life from a fossil. Team Rocket had it, and I took it from them."

Mana smiled. "Well, good for you. Team Rocket needs less Pokemon. However, a rock-water Pokemon is still no match for an electric-type."

"We'll see."

"Pichu, use Thundershock!" Mana shouted and Pichu unleashed a small amount of electricity at Kabutops, who quickly blocked with its scythes.

"Kabutops, listen to me this time," Emily spoke. "Use Slash!" Kabutops growled and folded its arms. "Kabutops..."

"Kabu kabutops kabu," Kabutops spoke stubbornly, turning its back to Pichu. It obviously didn't consider Pichu to be a threat at all.

Mana sized up the Kabutops. It was certainly more formidable than her Pichu, so a direct force attack wouldn't work. "Pichu," she shouted, start things off with Agility!" Pichu's cheeks sparked as it released energy into its muscles. As if to show off its new speed, quick as a flash it ran up Kabutops' leg and sat on its shoulder just long enough for Kabutops to strike at it, but it was already running back to Mana before Kabutops had aimed the blow.

"Kabu..." Kabutops spoke in a low growl, then crossed its arms again. "Kabutops kabu kabu!" Kabutops spoke up and Emily growled.

"Kabutops, you listen to me right now!" she shouted but Kabutops still didn't budge. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"Kabutops kabu!" Kabutops shouted. It then seemed to go into some form of monologue in its own language and Emily just stared, as if listening to it. Mana stared, not sure if it was wise to interrupt what was going on. When Kabutops finally stopped, it looked away, having a strange look on its face, almost like it was sad. Tears rolled down Emily's eyes and she turned.

"I see...I can't..." She held up her pokeball. "Return!" Kabutops zapped back into its pokeball and Mana looked rather confused. Emily quickly rushed to Kiai, pushing herself against him and burying her head in his chest as if to try to hide her tears.

Kiai wrapped Emily in his arms and hugged her. "It's ok…it doesn't mean you're bad at what you're doing, it just means some Metapods are tougher to crack than others. Remember, Kabutops has a stubborn streak implanted into it by no less than Team Rocket, so that's one hell of a pedigree. I'm sure it'll come around in time."

Emily shook her head. "That's...not it..." She sniffled. "Team Rocket experimented on it...they tested something they called the 'Rage Enhancer' on it. It's a device that, when activated, makes the Pokemon enraged, and only removing the device can calm it...but...they made the device smaller and smaller until they managed to build the device as nothing more then a small chip. Kabutops was the first they installed the chip into...but it made it wild, uncontrollable. They sealed it away and let it unleash its rage upon anyone they tossed into the pit...it was a failed experiment..."

"Well it isn't anymore. It's your friend, and it'll realize that…eventually. Just be strong." Kiai gently stroked Emily's hair and back, and looked up at Mana in an attempt to offer some sort of explanation.

Mana stared, still unsure of what to do or even say. She looked down at her Pichu, who also had a confused expression. It wasn't sure if the battle was over, or if it was waiting for a new opponent. After a moment, Pichu turned and scampered up Mana's back and onto her shoulder. Mana then walked forward, stopping next to Kiai and Emily. "She can...understand Pokemon?" she asked, looking down at Emily, who only nodded and said nothing more.

Kiai also remained silent at that question. He remembered to well the odd circumstances of Emily's birth that they had learned about early in their adventure. Eager to change the subject, Kiai spoke to Mana. "I think that's the game, we're done here. Call it what you will but we're going to need some time."

Mana nodded. "I understand." She smiled. "It was a great battle. Maybe we'll meet up again some time!" She turned and looked to the south. "All right, Fuschia City Gym, here I come!" With that, Mana rushed forward and Emily watched as she ran. A tear rolled down her eye and she turned, burying her face in Kiai's chest. She didn't speak, but muffled sobs could be heard.

Kiai continued to gently stroke her hair until her sobs stopped. After a few moments she stepped back and wiped her eyes. Kiai rubbed her shoulder and spoke, "You ok now? Everything will be alright."

Emily sniffled a little. "No...I'm not okay...not as long as Pokemon are being bred and treated like Team Rocket is treating them..." She looked up at Kiai. "At all costs...I want to stop Pokemon being treated as weapons...and being bred and experimented on in labs..."

Kiai kissed her forehead. "If not us, someone will. I'm sure of it." He smiled softly. "Now lets go, I don't think Team Rockets secret headquarters is this bridge!"

Emily nodded, a smile appearing on her face again. "Yeah, Lavender Town isn't far from here now." They turned and with that they headed forward towards Lavender Town, unknowing of the dangers that awaited them there.


	18. Ghostly Encounter

**Chapter 18: Ghostly Encounter**

The afternoon was slowly fading to dusk when Kiai and Emily walked into the small port town of Lavender. Unlike Vermillion, there were no busy piers or busting people, and no lovely sea breeze. The whole town was very quiet, almost subdued. At the far end of the town, near to the shore-cliff, there loomed the infamous Lavender Tower. Even from a distance, the tower felt cold. Light from all sides was unnaturally pulled toward it, giving a normally sunny day a cloudy disposition, and turning the middle of the afternoon into nearly pitch night. Kiai felt a chill run up his spine, though if you asked him if he was afraid or excited, he wouldn't be able to answer.

Emily's eyes wandered the city, noticing the fairly dreary disposition the entire town seemed to be in. "Death..." Emily spoke, seemingly randomly. "That's what this place feels like...I can't really explain it any better..." She pushed herself close to Kiai. "I don't like this place one bit..."

"Relax," spoke Kiai, "people live here and they're fine, I'm sure we'll be ok." He wrapped his left arm around her, and put his right arm, which was trembling, behind his back. The town was small and sparse, so it was easy for them to wind their way through the few streets and come to Lavender Tower. Although it only took a few minutes, it seemed several hours had passed. The setting sun was nowhere to be seen, even stars couldn't shine through. The warm air was so chilled they could almost see their breath. The tower itself was in ruins, there were holes and broken windows, and the tower swayed and creaked with even the slightest gust. The door was hanging on its hinges, nearly worn smooth by generations of prankers and pokemon trainers.

Emily had begun to shake the closer they got to the tower, but now, standing before it, she felt weak. Her body suddenly felt as if it had frozen up in sheer terror. "I...don't know about this..." she spoke, her voice trembling. "I know there's ghost Pokemon in there...so it shouldn't be a surprise when I say it feels really unnatural here..."

Kiai didn't look at her, his eyes were locked at the tower windows. "Yeah... but I gotta go in there... are you…uh…too afraid to come with me..?"

Emily shook her head. "No, I'll go with you..."

"Squirtle squirt," Shellshocker spoke as he sat upon Emily's head and Emily nodded.

"Shellshocker says he'll go with us, too. We're both afraid...but there's no way in hell we're letting you go in alone..."

Kiai nodded. "Well... no time like the present." He stood at the entrance and stared at the door. Emily and Shellshocker looked at him for a while. Kiai swallowed then spoke, "Yep, better get it over with." A few more minutes passed, then he walked tentatively forward. The door swung forward with a grotesque creak on its last hinge. The air inside was heavy with dust and death. It was as cold as winter, and the breath left their lips in white clouds. They walked slowly forward, their footsteps creaking and echoing through the dark foyer. Worse still, there were voices that seemed to flow from the dark corners of the room.

Emily trembled more as they slowly stepped into the tower. She could feel Shellshocker was clinging to her head and trembling in fear. "H-hello?" Emily called out. "We're looking for Ghost Pokemon...if you could just come out and make yourselves visible, that would be nice." There was, naturally, no response to her call, not that she had expected one anyway.

"Well done, Emily, that oughta do it," whispered Kiai. He barely registered Emily punching his shoulder. "I think we might have better luck a few floors up." He squinted into the darkness, his eyes were beginning to grow accustomed to it. "There," he spoke, pointing to the far wall, "I see a stairway. Lets go." They walked toward it, all the while feeling like something or someone was watching them. Kiai went first, the stairs moaned against his weight, but held. They made it to the second floor, but the stairs ended. The second floor was much like the first, rotted, dead and cold. Emily spotted a stairway on the far side of the room, and they slowly walked toward it.

"It's...not so bad..." Emily spoke, her body relaxing a little. "There hasn't been anything really scar-" There was a loud noise, like someone pounding upon something. In an instant, Emily jumped and clung to Kiai, her body trembling.

"It's just the shutter on the window," Kiai spoke, pointing to a nearby window that had one of the shutters slowly blowing in the wind, causing it to open and close loudly.

Emily put her hand on her chest and gave a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god."

"Squirtle squirt!" Shellshocker spoke loudly, jumping from Emily's head to Kiai's.

"What is it?" Emily shouted and whirled around, but she saw nothing.

"Squirtle...squirt squirtle..." Shellshocker spoke.

"Well, the ghost's not there now...so you were either seeing things, or something is watching us..."

Kiai stared into the pitch black where Shellshocker was pointing, but nothing moved. "Let's go," he spoke, as he turned back toward the stairs. They worked their way slowly up two more floor without meeting anything. When they reached the next staircase, however, Kiai noticed that two stairs were missing. "We're going to have to get over this in order to keep climbing up…here, I'll help you over." Kiai lifted Emily up by her waist and set her down on the stairs above. They creaked, but held. She moved up a step as Kiai leaned out, lifting his foot up and placing his weight on the banisters. With a dry crack, one of the banisters broke. Kiai fell forward, smacking his head on the stair above and falling into the black hole.

"Kiai!" Emily shouted. She bit her lip and looked around. "Go, Umbreon!" she shouted and tossed her Luxury Ball forward. Umbreon came out in a flash of light, then turned to Emily, the rings on its body were glowing brightly. "Umbreon, can you make it down this hole safely?" Umbreon looked down the hole a moment, then nodded. "Good, Kiai fell...go make sure he's okay...I'll try to find a way down on my own." Umbreon nodded once more then jumped down the hole.

Kiai woke with a start. He was dreaming about a dog licking his face, but when he woke up, he found his dream wasn't that far off. In the pitch black, he felt a wet nose touching his. He coughed and sputtered and drew back, then saw Umbreon's glowing rings. Coming to his senses, he looked up and saw the hole he just fell through, and Emily's face peeking down it. "I'm ok," he spoke slowly, but loud enough so she could hear him. "It's dark…I don't know…" he raised his hand to the side of his head, which was numb. He felt something wet. "Emily…I think I need to get to a hospital…" All of a sudden, a gust of wind from nowhere blew through the dark passage. With a strange force, it lifted Umbreon up and out of the hole, tossing it carelessly down the stairs. Emily jolted back, and stared as the hole in the stairway repaired itself.

"Kiai!" Emily shouted and growled. Fear seemed to wash away from her. "I can sense them...this is all a game to them..." She threw another of her pokeballs forward, unleashing her Golduck. "Goldy, use Psychic and tell me what you see." Goldy nodded and put its hand to its head and its eyes began to glow. Emily's eyes then began to glow as well, and Emily saw everything that Goldy was sensing. "Just as I thought..." Emily blinked and her eyes returned to normal. "All right, here's the plan. The Ghost Pokemon think this is all a game, but we're not going to play it. Goldy, can you re-open the hole in the stairs?" Goldy nodded and immediately unleashed a Hyper Beam to the left of where the hole had been. "Good job." Emily quickly jumped down the hole with Umbreon and Goldy following. The hole then seemed to repair itself the moment they were through. "Kiai!" she shouted as she bent down, searching with her hands.

Kiai's head swam as he stumbled around the darkness. He heard nothing and saw nothing. He bumped into walls and seemed to walk for an hour. He thought he heard his name, but it was like hearing sound through water; it was slow and warbled, and it sounded far away. Although he couldn't see the blackness grow in the corners of his eyes, he could feel it. He grasped a pokeball from his belt and released Raticate just as his body fell forward and hit the floor. With his last breath, he whispered, "…help." Raticate sniffed its owner, then the hair on its back prickled. It sniffed the air, then dashed off into the darkness.

Emily growled when she realized Kiai was nowhere near where he had been a minute ago. "Umbreon, try to find Kiai." Umbreon nodded and turned. It's rings began to glow brighter and it dashed forward. "Goldy, use Psychic, tell me what you can sense around here." Golduck nodded and once again set its hands to its head. It scanned the area, then sent its thoughts to Emily, who stared at the sight around her. "Is all of this darkness Ghost Pokemon?" Goldy responded telepathically, saying it had no idea. Emily growled. "There's so much shadow...so much that seems hidden even from your senses..." She turned, breaking the link between her and Goldy. "What's wrong?" she shouted into the darkness. A moment later, Umbreon appeared with Raticate. "I see..." She bent down. "Raticate, take me to Kiai, and quickly." Raticate nodded and rushed forward. Umbreon followed closely and Emily followed Umbreon. Goldy, meanwhile, remained where he was, continuing to scan the area with its psychic powers.

Kiai woke up and found himself laying face down on a dark floor. He could hear nothing, but there seemed to be a light behind him. He stood up slowly. His body seemed very light, as if it was completely numb. He turned toward the light. It was floating in the darkness, unmoving. He heard a strange laughter coming from it. He walked slowly toward it.

Emily stopped running when she noticed Umbreon had stopped. When she looked, she noticed Raticate had stopped as well. "Kiai?" she asked as she spotted a single leg in the darkness. Quickly, Umbreon jumped over the leg and let its rings glow, giving a little light around it, showing it was Kiai. "We found him!" She quickly knelt down and picked him up. Fear struck her face. "He's cold...this isn't good...Goldy!" It seemed like it took only a moment before Goldy appeared next to them. "Goldy, I need your help. Lift Kiai up and help me carry him."

"Golduck," Goldy spoke and nodded.

"Be careful." Goldy's eyes began to glow and Kiai was slowly lifted into the air. "Let's try to get him into a lighter area..." Emily and the gang quickly got up and rushed forward. The darkness seemed to grow ever heavier and soon Umbreon was forced to stop. It glanced around, noticing the darkness was spreading out in all directions. "Can you see anything?" Umbreon shook its head. "Damn...something is wrong, then..."

. . .

Kiai moved toward the light, which for some reason was becoming elongated. Without realizing it, he moved through the wall and found himself back in the tower. The light resolved itself into three lights side by side. Very slowly the lights dimmed, and he could discern the laughter. It was coming from each light. He no longer had a spine, but if he did, he would have felt a chill.

. . .

Emily bit her lip as she stared into the darkness before her. "We've got to think of something..." she spoke and put her hand on her hip. "Let's see...I don't have anything that can make light...unless..." She held her hand forward. "Thundershock!" she shouted and a jolt of electricity shot forward from her hands. The darkness seemed to unnaturally move away from the lightning, as if it was a cloud being controlled by something. "That's what I thought..." She tossed a pokeball forward. "Go, Lapry, use Ice Beam all around us! See if you can hit anything!" Lapras appeared in a flash of light, then breathed out a beam of ice all around. As the beam moved, the cloud of darkness seemed to move as well, as if trying to avoid the beam.

. . .

As Kiai watched the lights, they resolved themselves into shapes. The first was small and amorphous, the second was spiny, the third was like a stout beast. The more he looked, the more his senses came back. He realized he was staring at three Ghost-type pokemon. He put his hand to his side, but couldn't feel his pokeballs, let alone his belt, or his hand. He looked down, and saw that he was floating several inches above the ground. His memory returned swiftly. He felt his head, and there was a dry gash right to his skull. He almost shivered as he felt it with no pain. Realization crashed down upon him. He glared at the Ghost pokemon laughing at him. "You bastards killed me." he spoke, his voice thick with wrath.

. . .

Emily growled. "Damn it! You stupid ghost pokemon, show yourselves! I know you're causing this darkness, and I'm not going to play games with you!" She seemed to get no response and this made her angrier. "Umbreon, use Confuse Ray into the darkness!" Umbreon opened its mouth and unleashed a ray of energy forward. Emily growled, still noticing no result. "Damn it! I'm going to kill those stupid pokemon!"

. . .

Kiai grit his teeth. "You bastards…" They laughed louder at him. "I'm going to get you for this.." They flew at him, surrounding him and laughing at his predicament. Kiai's mind raced. "I can't use pokemon when I'm dead…wait.." With a swift motion, he reached out and whacked the Haunter on the forehead, right between the eyes. It swayed a little bit, then grunted and pushed Kiai. Kiai grinned. He turned around and bolted across the floor to the stairway. The ghost pokemon flew after him, but he got there before they did. He leapt down the hole and found Emily there, trying to get out. He also found Raticate standing sorrowfully by his body. "I'm sorry if this doesn't work, old friend." He reached down, putting his hand into Raticates chest. With a croak and a shudder, Raticate fell, dead. A second later, its spirit drifted up out of its body, and bounded to Kiai's side, where it happily nuzzled him.

"Golduck!" Goldy shouted and Emily whirled around. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Raticate collapsing to the ground. "Raticate!" she knelt down and touched it, noticing it was also cold. Emily growled and turned to look at Kiai's body. "This is bad..." She grabbed Kiai's body and shook it. "Come on, Kiai, wake up, we need your help!" It was no use, though.

"Golduck, gold golduck," Goldy spoke sorrowfully.

"No...he's not dead...he's not...I can still save him! I can..." She turned to move and tripped, falling face first onto the floor.

. . .

Kiai pet Raticate and smiled. "This is going to be a little different," he spoke, walking back through the wall. The three Ghost pokemon were there, and they had stopped laughing. Raticate followed at his heals, and hissed when it saw them. "This won't be your typical fight, Raticate. They killed me." Kiai cracked what would have been his knuckles. "This is personal." With that, he leapt forward with a roar, Raticate following his lead. He swung his fist at a very confused and stunned Gengar, throwing it back across the room. Raticate hit the Ghastly with a powerful Tackle, nearly knocking it cold.

. . .

Emily blinked and looked up. "What...was that?" she asked. "Goldy, use Psychic." Goldy nodded and put its hands to its head. It unleashed its psychic powers, then linked Emily's mind to his. Her eyes went wide when Goldy's psychic powers picked up on the ghost pokemon. Not only that, but it picked up on two other spirits. It took only a moment for Emily to realize who they were. "Kiai!" she shouted. Haunter growled and looked around. It slowly moved back as Kiai and Raticate began to advance towards it. "Haunter haunt!" it shouted and rose it's hand. It unleashed a Shadow Ball forward at Kiai.

Kiai leapt into a roll, dodging the Shadow Ball. When he got up, he noticed that Raticate had soundly defeated Ghastly, but Gengar was back on its feet, and it was pissed. It flicked its finger, and a dusty chair glowed an eerie white. It rose into the air and hurled itself at Raticate, knocking it over. "Thanks," spoke Kiai, grinning at Gengar, "Now I know how I can capture you. That was very helpful." Gengar fumed, and Kiai concentrated hard on the pokeballs on his body's belt. He flicked his wrist, and one glowed the same eerie white, and flew like a bullet into his hand. He raised one arm and pointed it at Haunter. "You." he spoke simply, smiling. "Raticate... lets go!" With that, Kiai and Raticate dashed off, not toward Haunter, but toward Gengar. Gengar paniced, but built up a massive Shadow Ball and hurled it at the two. Kiai threw his shoulder into it and hit it with a spin, deflecting it and revealing that Raticate was directly behind him. With no defense, Raticate's attack knocked Gengar to its knees. Kiai came up, feeling oddly weak, and bashed Gengar on its head, knocking it out. The two of them turned in unison toward Haunter.

Haunter began to look around in a panic. It wasn't sure what to do now. It slowly floated backwards, trying to back away from Kiai. Suddenly, it felt a chilling blast hit it from behind, and when it whirled around, Lapry was staring at it intently. Emily growled. "Lapry, use another Ice Beam!" she shouted and Lapry unleashed another beam at it, which Haunter quickly dodged, only to be struck from behind by a powerful tackle from Raticate. Haunter was surrounded, and there was no way for it to dodge attacks on all sides of it.

Haunter grit its teeth. Its spikes stood tall, and it gathered together a mighty ball of dark power. It rushed Kiai, an Ice Beam passing just behind it. Kiai and Raticate braced themselves. Raticate leapt first, but Haunter slashed it with the dark sphere, knocking Raticate clear across the room. Kiai hesitated, but at the last moment, swung his fist forward just as the dark sphere hit him. He too was sent flying across the room, his spirit body tingling and sparking with dark energy. He felt an odd pain, as if his life force was being drained. He struggled to raise himself, but it was a grueling few minutes before he found the strength to. When he turned around, he saw that his plan had worked. Haunter was nowhere to be found, but the pokeball he hit it with had a satisfying red glow.

"We beat them..." Emily spoke, then turned, staring at Kiai's spirit. "Kiai!" she shouted and rushed forward. She reached forward to hug him, but passed through him. She quickly whirled around, staring at him. "Kiai..." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Kiai managed a sad smile and lifted his fingertip to Emily's cheek. A coldness, like touching her skin to an ice cube, fell upon her face. The tear passed right through his finger. "Listen.." he spoke, his voice echoing with an unearthly tone, "if I can do this, I can get back. No tears until we try, ok?"

Emily nodded and sniffled, wiping the tears from her face. She then turned, an odd look on her face. She pulled out a pokeball and slammed it against the still knocked out Gastly. "I don't like Ghost Pokemon...but maybe it'll help out..." The pokeball shook for a moment, then signaled that the pokemon was caught. A moment later, the pokeball began to glow white, then vanished, being teleported to Professor Oak for storage as she had six pokemon already.

Kiai lifted up Raticate's spirit, knocked out but still alive, and brought it back to their bodies. Kiai laid Raticate's in first, and gently stroked it until it regained consciousness. Somehow it knew what to do, and the spirit absorbed back into the body. With a raspy gasp, Raticate was alive again, and began prodding Kiai's body. Kiai smiled, and laid down aligned with his corpse. Sensations began to flow back to him and he embraced them. His still lungs suddenly sprang to life with a gasping breath, and his eyes shot open.

No sooner had Kiai regained breath then did he lose it. For the moment he returned to life, Emily was on top of him, hugging him tight. Kiai choked a bit, struggling for breath and Emily quickly let go, allowing him to take a breath at last. "Sorry!" she shouted. "I'm just so happy you're alive!"

Kiai hugged her with what strength he had. His whole body tingled as the blood flowed back into his veins. It never dawned on him, but had he been dead for any longer, his body would have been too far destroyed for him to regain. With some help, he got to his feet and began shaking his limbs to get the blood flowing. With a deep breath, he spoke with a shaky voice, "I sure hope I don't have to do that again."

Emily giggled with tears in her eyes. "I hope so, too...the thought of losing you..." she turned away. "It was too much to bare...I...I tried to take you out...see if a hospital could help you...I...I wasn't sure what else to do..."

Kiai smiled, then wrapped one arm around Emily and lightly grasped her chin, turning her toward him. He looked into her eyes, and spoke softly, "Thank you." In the dark, he leaned down and kissed her lips.

"For what? I really didn't help out at all..."

"For caring. It means a lot to me." He smiled and kissed her again, then hugged her tight. She smiled and hugged him tight as well. The two stayed like that for a few moments, before Shellshocker rather rudely busted in.

"Squirtle squirt squirtle," he spoke, giving a sort of glare.

"Shellshocker's right. We should get out of here. Even if the ghosts are knocked out, and two of them captured, there could be more lurking...not to mention this place gives me the creeps no matter what..."

"You're right, let's boogie." He grabbed a pokeball from his belt and retrieved Raticate, then walked across the floor and picked up the pokeball with Haunter inside. Securing them both to his belt, he looked around in an attempt to get his bearings. "It looks like the ghosts put an illusion up, fooled our senses to make us think we were somewhere we weren't. I guess we just fell down to the floor below us." He turned and looked at the stairways on either side of the room, and pointed at the far one. "That one leads down, so that's where we go."

Emily nodded. "Right." Shellshocker quickly hopped onto Emily's back and she recalled her pokemon. The two quickly made it down the stairs and rushed out of the tower. Emily took one glance back at the tower, noting it still seemed just as dark and ominous as before. "I hope we never have to come back here..." She turned and gave a sigh of relief. "Well, at least we're all still alive...some of us less then others, though." She giggled and hugged Kiai.

Kiai hugged her back. "Very funny, cute stuff." He looked over at the tower. His skin prickled as he felt something ominous looking out over him, almost as if the ghostly spirits of the tower were once again trying to tear his soul away. He summoned up his willpower and attacked the feeling, and when he did, he felt it turn away like an injured puppy. He took a soft breath and resumed his focus on hugging Emily, knowing that this dangerous chapter of their adventure was finally closed.


	19. The Siege of Saffron

**Chapter 19: The Siege of Saffron**

One of the many gates to Saffron City loomed before them as they stood there, staring up at it. In front of them were three officers, each dressed in the typical blue uniform that police officers wore. "You're still closed?" Emily asked.

The guard nodded and spoke, "Unfortunately, ma'am, yes we are. Saffron is currently closed off from the public."

"But why?"

"I'm not allowed to say..."

Kiai spoke up, "You're closing off an entire city and you won't say why? What about the public? Are they locked in?"

The guard steeled his expression and glared at Kiai. "That information is classified, you have no right to know or demand to know. Be on your way, otherwise you will be arrested."

The two men locked eyes for a moment, until finally Kiai relented. "Fine. Let's go, Emily." Without another word, the two of them walked back down the road. When they were out of earshot of the guards, Kiai whispered to Emily, "We're going to get in one way or another, but I think we'll have to wait until nightfall."

"Is that a good idea? I mean...I'm sure they've blocked off the city for a reason...even if it has been almost two weeks since we were here last...If they've got it closed off, there must be good reason...right?" Even Emily herself wasn't believing her words, though. She had a feeling something was not quite right about this.

"Listen, Emily.. we haven't heard about this in any news story, no one has reported it. If there was some violent crime war or disease, it would threaten the entire country, right? But if it was that, it would be all over! People would know! Something fishy is going on. This wasn't an accident, someone is covering something up."

"You're right on that part...we would have heard something if Saffron was closed off for any real reason..." She sighed. "We should definitely find out what's going on...looks like another late night for us..."

"Aw c'mon, where's your sense of adventure? It'll be fun!" Kiai turned around, and when he saw that they were no longer visible to the guards, he grasped Emily's wrist and turned off down the path into the forest. Glancing up at the sun now and again, they made their way through the brush to the north-eastern tip of the city. Kiai searched around a bit and found a clearing. "We'll camp here.. but we can't have a fire, otherwise we'll draw attention to ourselves. We'll need to stay quiet."

Emily nodded. "Then what's the plan for getting in?"

"We'll watch the guards, and move in when we get the chance. We'll lay low.. figure out what's safe, and set up a base camp within the city.. from there, we'll figure out what's going on. If it's dangerous, we'll get out the way we got in. If not, well, we'll figure it out.

Emily nodded again. "Think it could be a Team Rocket thing? I mean...it seems like everything is Team Rocket nowadays...They are the biggest crime syndicate in this region..."

"I wouldn't put it past them, but besieging an entire city? That's beyond just a crime syndicate, that's an act of war. If they are responsible, something major is going to happen in the very near future." Kiai used his feet to sweep up the fallen twigs, leaves and other oddments to the edge of the clearing. Every few seconds, he'd stop and glance around, peering through the trees and listening for any movement.

Emily nodded. "But Team Rocket has been making rather big moves lately...and their ultimate goal is World Domination by use of Pokemon...so this could be their first step...I could easily guess that the officers are Team Rocket grunts, just dressed as officers and given forged badges...or even real ones, since I'm sure there is a police station itself in Saffron. They could just use those...."

"It fits, but even if it is them, what are they up to? We don't know, so we need to find the answer to those questions." Kiai swept the last bit of debris out of the way, and laid down his pack. "If you're tired, get some sleep now. We might not get much sleep tonight."

Emily nodded. "Right..." she sighed once more and rolled out her pack. She lied down on it, closing her eyes, attempting to fall asleep. While she did at one point, her mind raced with all kinds of questions, and it seemed like forever passed before Kiai was waking her.

The cresent moon was low on the horizon, and the morning was in its wee hours, long before dawn, when Kiai gently shook Emily awake. He gave her a few moments to yawn and stretch before he spoke. "The guards cycle every four hours, and they just went by. We've got more than enough opportunity to get into the city. I'm not sure where we'll go, but we can stick to the alleys until we figure it out."

Emily nodded. "Got it, then we should go while we have time." She grabbed her pack and turned to Saffron. "Let's see what's going on in there." They made their way through the brush, Kiai seemed to know the way well. He would stop at certain trees to look, but all the lights in the distance remained stationary. Eventually they got to the point where the trees ended, and on the other side of a dirt road in front of them were buildings, two or three stories tall and built close together. No lights were on in any of them. Kiai looked both ways, spending a few seconds watching the distant northern guard hut, then dashed across the road into a dark alley with Emily. He peeked out into the main road. There were mostly houses but a few shops, all of which were dark and dim.

"We need to get to the Pokemon Center. There, if anywhere, we should be safe." whispered Kiai.

Emily nodded. "Right...I have no clue where it is, though...I've never been here before."

"It's probably in the center of the city… we're northeast… so we need to go southwest… that way… come on." After a long look at the road, they dashed across to another alley. They very slowly made their way through the city, until they saw the giant illuminated pokeball signifying the Pokemon Center. Kiai cursed under his breath when he saw two policemen stationed at the entrance. "We need to get past them.. unless we get in another way.."

Emily sighed. "Well...I'm fresh out of any ideas to get around them...unless you think Umbreon can sneak around? She can hide in the darkness pretty well...though there is a lot of light out there..." She pulled out her Luxury Ball and she stared at it, as if something had just come to mind. "This might sound weird…but I think I just thought of a nickname for my Umbreon."

Kiai glanced at the Luxury Ball in Emily's hand. His initial reaction was going to be something along the lines of berating her for choosing a nickname at such an inopportune moment, but an idea struck him. "I've got a better idea.. just have her distract the guards. Lead them to the other side of the building, then have her come back so you can recall her… we'll make our way in then."

Emily nodded. "All right." She tossed the Luxury Ball forward. "All right, Shadow, come on out!" The Luxury Ball opened and Emily's Umbreon appeared from the it. "All right, listen up." Emily quickly told the plan to Shadow, who nodded. Once she was done, Shadow turned towards the Police members and stepped forward from the bushes, letting its rings glow brightly from the shining of the full moon above them.

"What's that?" one of the guards asked.

"An Umbreon," the second guard spoke. At once, Shadow launched forward and began running around the guards.

"What the hell is it doing?"

"It's using Faint Attack, watch out!" Shadow leaped forward, knocking one of the guards down. It then landed on the other side of the guard and turned towards him. The guard quickly grabbed his hat and growled. "Come back here!" he shouted and rushed after Shadow, who quickly took off.

"Stop!" the second guard shouted then sighed when he saw the second guard still running after Shadow. "The boss isn't going to like this..." the guard then rushed towards the other guard and Shadow.

Kiai and Emily waited a few minutes in the bushes as the frantic conversation of the two guards faded into the darkness. After a while, a black shape appeared on top of the curved roof of the Pokemon Center, and ran straight down the wall, jumping and landing without a sound in front of the entrance. Kiai hissed to Emily, "She's back!" He poked his head out of the bushes and looked left and right down the road, it was completely deserted. The voices of the two guards was starting to get louder again. "Quick! Recall her and let's go!" Kiai broke out of the hedges, and made a mad dash toward the doors.

"Shadow, return!" Emily shouted and returned her pokemon. She quickly stuck the Luxury Ball on her belt and rushed forward. The two flung the doors open to the Pokemon Center and entered. It took only a moment more before they saw the guards back at their post, obviously irate. One looked to still be searching for the Umbreon, the other was holding him back. "We made it..." Emily spoke, looking around the center. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people around, though they all seemed depressed. "Wonder what's going on here..."

Nurse Joy approached the two, a tired look on her otherwise kind face. "Oh no.. did they get you too?" she spoke.

Kiai blinked at her. "Get us? We wouldn't be here if they did.. we distracted them with her Umbreon." He gestured at Emily, somewhat confused at Nurse Joy's statement. She returned his confused look.

"You mean.." Nurse Joy spoke, then a look of dawning comprehension spread over her face. "You-! You didn't...! You snuck into the city!" Her voice cracked as she spoke, as if she had trouble getting the words out. A few young heads turned to look at the three of them, and soft murmurs began to build.

Emily blinked. "Y-yeah...is that a bad thing?" She looked at Kiai, then back at Nurse Joy. "We came by Saffron and they told us the city was shut down...but there's no news about it or anything anywhere...so...we decided to sneak in and find out what was going on..."

The hushed murmurs began to increase feverishly, snatches of conversation like, "They didn't know?" and "But Officer Jenny said.."

Nurse Joy shook off her astonishment. "Come, come.. we need to get you some place safe.." She grabbed their wrists, very forcefully for what looked like a tender woman, and led them down the hall, well away from the windows and front doors. Every eye in the lobby watched as they went, some looked on in awe, but many were afraid. Nurse Joy led them into the hospital area, despite a momentary chirp of admonishment by the Chancey at the front desk. She took them directly into her office, a small but comfortable windowless room at the center of the building.

Emily and Kiai sat down in the chairs in front of her desk, and Nurse Joy sat down in the chair behind it. The three sat in silence for a moment as Nurse Joy pulled a pair of glasses onto her face and turned to look at a computer screen for a moment. Emily and Kiai looked at each other, then after a moment, returned their gaze to Nurse Joy. "What's going on?" Emily asked. "Was it bad for us to sneak in here?"

Nurse Joy grasped the corner of her computer moniter and turned it toward Emily and Kiai. There was a news website opened up on the internet browser, with a large, prominant story about Team Rocket performing massive underground raids in Saffron, and, just underneith it, the headline, "Army Mobilizes to Quell Team Rocket Threat in Saffron." Emily and Kiai read the articles silently as Nurse Joy stared at them both from behind her half-moon glasses. Kiai finished reading and glanced up at her, meeting her eyes. They looked at each other for a moment, and the question in her mind was plain to see. Kiai spoke slowly and grimly, "No one has said anything.. as far as we know, no one knows this is happening.. and no army has been mobilized."

"You're sure of this?" Nurse Joy asked and Emily nodded in response.

"Pretty sure," Emily responded. "There has been nothing on the news on our side at all. I mean...we've been traveling the last few days, sure, but we've heard nothing about any of this, and none of the other cities seemed to know anything either..."

Nurse Joy sighed as she pulled the glasses off, setting them on the desk. "This is terrible...About a month or so ago, Team Rocket appeared as if our of nowhere. They laid siege to the city...Officer Jenny and the police tried to stop them, but they weren't enough...Since then, Officer Jenny has put the city on lock down. No one is allowed in or out of the city. All communication out of the city has been cut off as well...and the Pokemon of Saffron City have been stolen...including..." she went silent.

"Including...what?" Emily asked.

"Including the Pokemon of Saffron Gym..." Nurse Joy spoke and Emily gasped.

"Kiai...that means..."

Kiai nodded, his face contorted into seriousness. He sighed heavily. "Team Rocket has never done anything of this scale before… wayward travelers and hidden laboratories, yes… but this… they've effectively cleaned out an entire city!" He grimaced as a truth hit him. "And you know what, it's probably because of what we did at Mount Moon. Giovanni probably died when that lab collapsed… this is probably Team Rocket's last desperate chance at glory." He leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. He suddenly felt like a very small person in a very big world. "... we have to stop them."

"What do you think they're trying to do here?" Emily asked. "I mean...why Saffron? Why not any of the other cities? Was Saffron the easiest to take over? Or is it something else?" Emily turned to Nurse Joy. "Nurse Joy, any information you can give us about exactly what is going on in this city would really help...do you have any idea what they could be planning?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "No...nothing...They came in with a bunch of Pokemon...strangely colored ones at that...and they attacked the city. Officer Jenny tried to hold them off, but she couldn't. They attacked the gym first, though...like all of their forces were aimed specifically for it. After that...the rest was easy for them to take...I don't really get why..."

Emily looked at Kiai. "Sabrina's out then...but...why would they attack the gym first? What could the gym off-" Her sentence stopped as realization came to her mind. "Psychic Pokemon...Sabrina's Gym is also a training school for Psychics and their Pokemon...That's what they were after I'll bet...but after that...then what?"

Kiai got out of his chair and began to pace the office, his usual habit when he was trying to piece together the puzzle. "Giovanni died… someone took over and is trying a last ditch effort… For what… for what… they want something… power, control… They already have footholds here, so that's why they chose it… They knew the Gym would be the rallying point, and Sabrina would be their toughest opponent… they took her out first… Then they…" His eyes glanced toward the monitor, the web page still being displayed.

A dark thought prodded his consciousness, but he pushed it aside and kept pacing. "They cut communications. They blocked off the Pokemon Center. Dammit, how can Officer Jenny operate like this… Why wasn't the Pokemon Center her primary target after the Gym fell… and what is Team Rocket doing with all the pokemon they're getting… what's the endgame…" He went silent for a moment, and continued pacing.

Nurse Joy spoke clearly and plainly through the silence, "Officer Jenny assigned those guards out there." Kiai stopped short, and stared in complete disbelief.

"Officer...Jenny did?" Emily asked, also in complete disbelief.

Nurse Joy nodded. "She said it was for our own protection...she sends the trainers and citizens who have had their pokemon stolen here to stay...the Center is full...but there isn't a single Pokemon here...other then yours anyway..."

"This just doesn't make any sense at all...Why would Officer Jenny do something like this? Wouldn't she try to get people out of here instead of huddling them all in one place like this?"

"She's...changed..." Nurse Joy spoke and looked down. "I don't know what happened...It just seemed like...one day...she and the police force stopped fighting against Team Rocket...Team Rocket stole all the Pokemon from the Center after that...we were the last to actually get hit before they started stealing from the citizens and claimed their full take over..."

Kiai twitched an eyebrow and resumed his pacing. "Changed, huh…? And she assigned the guards..." He continued to pace for a few more minutes in silence, his face contorting with each new disturbing fact. He stopped, and glared at the wall. "I don't like it." he spoke. "Something about this situation stinks and I don't know what it is. What I do know is that we need to fix it, and the first thing we need to do is find an open window." He grasped a pokeball at his belt. "I'll send Fearow north to Cerulean with a message to Ash and Misty… they'll alert the cavalry… and I think I can do one better…" He turned and looked at Joy. "Nurse Joy… draft an SOS. Team Rocket will soon find that there are still pokemon in this city who can open up a can of whoop-ass."

Nurse Joy nodded. "Sure." She immediately pulled her glasses on and pulled out a sheet of paper. She pulled a pen from her dress and clicked it. She then quickly put the pen to paper and wrote a message. "This should be enough to alert Cerulean about what is going on." She held the paper out to Kiai. "You think Fearow can get out of here without being caught? I'm sure they've got some kind of system to try and catch any flyers, too."

"If they tango with my Fearow, they'll wish they hadn't." He took the note from Nurse Joy and rolled it up. "We need to get to a high window."

Joy nodded, and replied, "Follow me." The three of them left the office and ascended several flights of stairs, then went down a hall to an empty room. Joy unlocked the circular window and pushed it open. The cool night air billowed in, and in the streets not a soul could be seen.

Kiai released his Fearow and gave it its instructions: "Fly straight up until you're sure nothing can follow you, then go straight to Cerulean, straight to Ash and Misty. You must deliver this message at all costs." Fearow trilled proudly, snatched the message in its claws, and flew silently out of the window, straight up into the night sky. Nurse Joy closed the window, and Kiai spoke again. "As I said, we can do one better. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try." He grasped another pokeball on his belt and released Hypno. "Hypno, we have a special task for you. We need to get in contact with a human psychic named Sabrina, who we believe is somewhere in this city. Can you find her, but remain undetected by any psychic pokemon?" The Hypno looked squarely at him, as if to analyze his request, then closed its eyes and held up it's pendulum. By itself, it began to sway as gentle pulses of psychic energy emanated from it.

"Do you think it'll be able to find Sabrina without it hitting anyone else?" Emily asked as she looked at Hypno. "If there weren't so many lights, Shadow could sneak through the dark...but it's too light..."

Kiai reeled back as he felt a consciousness touch his mind. He resisted at first, but when he felt how weak it was, he relented. He heard a voice, a soft, desperate female voice speaking in his head, "Save me… please… I don't care who you are… please don't let them use me again…" The voice drifted off, but before it did, Kiai felt a strange presence, natural but alien, accompany the consciousness. It felt like a pokemon's psychic attack, but it was human. He gasped and relaxed his body, then noticing that both Joy and Emily were staring at him with great concern, he spoke, "They have Sabrina… I think… I think they're doing experiments on her…"

"What are we going to do, then? If Team Rocket has Sabrina...we have to do something...we can't just let those...those bastards experiment on her... But what can we do if Team Rocket themselves can take down a whole city?"

The psychic experience left Kiai shaken, but he began pacing to get his thoughts in order. He ran his fingers through his long black hair, a sign that Emily knew meant he was not doing very well. "This is bad…" he finally spoke. "Sabrina's psychic powers are incredibly developed… if Team Rocket can harness them… but maybe without Giovanni they won't get far… we have to rescue her, she's too much of an asset… which means she's going to have the highest security… time critical… base of operations… backup… ARGH!" His face contorted in anger and he punched a wall, creating a sizeable crack. "Everything is against us… and I can't see a way in.."

"Well, we sent for Ash and Misty...so maybe they can help when they get here..." Emily spoke.

"But can Sabrina last that long?" Nurse Joy asked. "what if it's too late..." Emily bit her lip and looked from Nurse Joy to Kiai. She wasn't sure what to say, or what they could do.

Kiai rounded on Nurse Joy. "Are there any pokemon left in the city… any at all that we could use to mount an attack? Have they really all been taken away?"

"As far as I know, they have been..." Nurse Joy spoke and sighed as she sat back in her chair, pulling her glasses off and setting them on the desk. "You could always try to search the city...but you'd have to find a way to get out there without being seen by the guards..."

"I could send Shadow out...but...she can't stay too well hidden with all this light...and I'm afraid of what could happen if Team Rocket found her..."

Kiai began to pace again. The silence lingered for an unnaturally long time, as did the lines in his young face. "No backup for at least a day… and no pokemon other than what's in this room. Our goals are to render Team Rocket incapable of proceeding with its experiments, cripple its foundation and obliterate the last traces of it… to do that, we need to infiltrate the organization in such a way that tilts the odds in our favor.." He looked up, his eyes darting between Emily and Joy. "We need to figure out where they're keeping all the pokemon, and free them, and return them to their trainers."

Emily nodded, then pulled out two of her pokeballs. "I think the only way we'll be able to do that is scout the area...we sent our only flying type out already, so we'll have to scout on land." She tossed her pokeballs forward, releasing Goldy and Shadow. "I've got three Pokemon that can move around I can trust. The other three...well...Magikarp and Lapras can't move on land, and Kabutops probably wouldn't listen to me..." Emily thought for a second. "Unless...it might be risky...but what if I released Kabutops out to cause some chaos? I don't know if it would work...but it might give us some kind of a distraction...and Kabutops would probably like a chance to get back at Team Rocket..."

Kiai nodded. "That's a good idea, but lets save the surprise attack for when the stealth fails." He began fingering the pokeballs on his belt. "Raticate stays with me.. same with Hypno… Butterfree won't be much use… Gyarados will be good in a pinch… that leaves…" He removed a ball from his belt, and released Haunter. He grinned at it. "As much as this one loves causing confusion, I believe it'll be better suited to stealth. Haunter, we need you to help perform a very important task, and it's vital that you do not get caught. Think you're up for it?" Haunter cackled, pleased. "Good." Kiai grinned. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"All right, then, what are we going to do? Haunter and Shadow can probably sneak around the city the best, especially if Haunter can create a shadow around the city to make it darker for Shadow to slip around the best." Emily looked to Shadow who slowly made her way over to her master and nuzzled against her leg. Emily smiled and pet her. "We might need you, Shadow. This is going to be very difficult, and you have to be sure not to get caught at all, okay?" Shadow nodded, then turned up to look at Kiai.

"Alright.." Kiai padded around a bit more, his eyes very focused but relaxed again, as he once again found his element. Suddenly, he grasped another pokeball from his belt and released it, a trilling Butterfree floated into the room. "Here's the plan. Haunter, you will be our eyes. Hypno, maintain a psychic lock on Haunter, we'll need to see what he sees. Shadow, you and Haunter will prowl the city, and take out whatever targets you can find that are obviously Team Rocket. Butterfree, that's where you come in. Stun, Sleep, Paralyze. Hide the bodies anywhere. Your goal is the basement of Sylph Co. Team Rocket is probably too stupid to have relocated. Once you get there, Haunter, go invisible and sneak in. Don't touch anything, stay within the walls AT ALL COSTS so you don't run into any psychic traps. Figure out where they're holding the pokemon, then relay that information back to us. We'll follow you, and wait outside Sylph Co. Once you find the pokemon holding areas, we create a diversion and sneak in."

Shadow nodded with a look of determination on her face. Haunter laughed, but showed it was also willing to follow the plan. Shadow then turned to look up at Emily, and the two exchanged looks for a moment. She then stepped up to Haunter, ready to move out. Haunter nodded, flying to the nearest window and looked out at the land ahead. Shadow rushed over, followed shortly after by Butterfree, and with that, the three were off. "Be careful out there," Emily spoke and sighed, then turned to Kiai. "So...we head out now, then?"

The steel determination on Kiai's face did not slip away for an instant. "No, we have one more thing to do." The familiar fierceness flickers into his eyes before he speaks again. "Rally the troops." He spun on his heels and marched out of the room. "Hypno, stay close. Contact Haunter like we discussed, I want to see what he's seeing at all times." Hypno trilled, his deep voice echoing as the pendulum began to swing and his psychic abilities twitched on. Hypno walked close behind Kiai as they marched down the hall, Emily and Joy at their heels, until they came back down to the common area, where many young trainers were spreading out sleeping mats and blankets. Kiai threw the double-doors open, and many eager and confused faces turned to look up at him. He glanced around to them all, and let a few moments of silence pass.

"Listen up." Kiai spoke, loudly. "We're officially in the middle of a war, and we are on the front lines. We have no weapons other than our own fists and wits, but that will be enough." He began walking into the crowd, his back straight and tall. "Tonight, at this very moment, we will mount an attack, and we will retrieve your pokemon." Many hushed voices began to rise. "But! We will need your help. Tonight, we will infiltrate the headquarters of Team Rocket." He paused for another moment. "Will you assist us?"

The sound of many trainers talking at once was heard as they all seemed to huddle towards the nearest person, muttering and whispering to one another. After a moment, one turned and spoke up. "What can we possibly do against Team Rocket? We're all just Pokemon Trainers. They've got an army of Pokemon at their disposal, and we've got nothing but our fists...how could we possibly make it into Team Rocket's headquarters? I'm all for rescuing our Pokemon, and I think I say that for all of us, but Team Rocket probably outnumbers us in human numbers alone, how can we fight against them and their army of Pokemon? You know Team Rocket will have a lot more then six per person, and even if they did only have six a person, that makes the odds at least seven-to-one if they were to have the same amount of people as us. In reality, though, the odds are probably more in the twenty-to-one ratio, at least. How can we stand against that? You have Pokemon, so I can understand having some confidence in that matter, but we've got nothing..."

Kiai rounded on the one who spoke up. "Our friends are in danger. Will you not fight for them? They fight for you on a daily basis. Not for your life, but for your glory. Will you sit back whilst Team Rocket experiments on them? Will you hide here in this place, waiting for someone else to do your work for you? If that is what you desire, than so be it. I'm not forcing any of you to come along with us. I'm merely telling you that we're leaving to see it done, and you're welcome to come along." He grabbed a lamp that was resting on a table nearby, yanked the cord and the lampshade off, and held it like a club. He took a deep breath, then pushed open the doors of the Pokemon center. A few shouts and some heavy thuds were heard. The doors opened back up, and Kiai strolled in them, holding the, now broken, lamp and a limp leg in the other. He dragged a knocked-out policeman into the Pokemon center and addressed the crowd again. "I did mention we're leaving now." He replaced the lamp on the table and dropped the mans leg, then turned around. "Choose fast."

The trainers turned to each other and spoke amongst themselves once again. After a moment, they turned back and stood to their feet. "You're right, we can't allow our Pokemon to be experimented on like this...we have to do something. We're with you."

Kiai dragged the other unconcious guard into the Pokemon Center, then proceeded to tie their wrists together using the cord from the smashed lamp. He paid no obvious sign of acknowledgement to the trainers who were beginning to crowd around him, some of them even retrieving utility knives or walking sticks as impromptu weapons. Once Kiai had secured his knots, he stood up and looked around. There were about 40 to 50 trainers in the room, and almost all of them were standing, staring back at him. Only a small handful of younger ones seemed very afraid and timid. All told, a force of 40-strong young Pokemon trainers, only two of them with pokemon, and the rest with what amounted to sticks and stones. Kiai surveyed them closely, his jaw set and his shoulders square. He blazed through simulations in his mind, moving the pieces to exactly where they needed to be. The expectant eyes gazed back at him, silently awaiting his instruction.

Emily turned to look out of the center. She stared for a moment before turning back, noticing Kiai and the others were ready. "We should probably head out now." Kiai nodded in agreement, and the group of trainers made their way out of the center to begin their attack on Team Rocket's headquarters.**  
**


	20. The Team Rocket Five

**Chapter 20: The Team Rocket Five**

"Shadow, Haunter, and Butterfree went that way," Emily spoke, pointing off to the east and down an alley, "so we should probably take that path as well. If we stick to our Pokemon, we can probably make it through here with little trouble."

Kiai put his fingers up to his temple, and focused his thoughts on Haunter. Closing one eye, he could see through Haunter's eyes. "It's clear for two blocks, there's a pair of guards walking down the street toward us... No, Butterfree knocked them out… it looks clear for another block after that, but then we're getting close to Sylph Co. Plus, the street is well-lit, and we need to watch all sides... we'll have to move slow, and stick to the shadows."

"Right," Emily spoke with a nod. She looked forward, then began to walk forward into the alley. The group of trainers followed her and Kiai slowly as the made their way down the alley and down a couple blocks. They then stopped, noticing they had caught up with their Pokemon, who were carefully inspecting their surroundings. Shadow quickly jumped towards one of the buildings, then used its Agility to allow it the ability to bounce between the walls of two buildings and quickly make its way to one of the rooftops. It glanced around a moment, keeping itself hidden in the shadows. After a moment, it returned to the ground and made a gesture with its head to indicate where to go next. It then quickly dashed forward into one of the other nearby shadows. Haunter and Butterfree followed close behind, and after a moment, Shadow leaped forward again, quickly passing through a lit area in a split second to reach another shadow. It stopped, and when it was sure it wasn't spotted, it gestured for the others to quickly follow.

"Umbreon umb," Shadow spoke to Haunter as it stopped beside it and it pointed forward. Silph Co was only a couple buildings away now, and there were only a few shadows left between them and it.

Kiai knelt down in the shadows. He motioned behind his back for the troupe to hide themselves. There was a quiet shuffling as they slid into alleys and behind staircases, or into empty shops. There was a small crowd of people hanging out by the door. Since they were not walking away or talking, Kiai assumed they were Team Rocket guards. "If we don't take down all of them at once," Kiai mumbled, mostly to himself, "they're going to call for backup, and we'll be known… but Butterfree can't take out a half dozen fully grown men… even if they all attack at once, it's a slim bet that they'll manage it… the only way we can get in is by removing them, but we can't fight them…" He looked at Emily, somewhat at a loss. "We need a distraction…"

"A distraction, huh?" Emily thought for a moment then pulled out one of her pokeballs. "I...might have an idea...but it's kind of risky..." She held out the pokeball. "I can use Kabutops..." She dropped the pokeball to her feet, allowing the Rock-Water type to appear from its ball. Kabutops turned its eyes to glare at Emily, then looked forward. It's eyes caught upon the guards before it, and it pulled itself back, as if preparing to charge. It spoke only a single word, one that Emily would interpret as "prey" before launching itself forward at full speed.

"What the-" was all a guard managed to speak out before Kabutops knocked the guard down with one of its sickles. It roared loudly and the guards quickly drew a pokeball each.

"No one messes with Team Rocket," one of the guards spoke and tossed a pokeball forward. Quickly, Kabutops swung one of its sickles, slicing apart the releasing mechanism on the pokeball before it could activate. Kabutops then roared again and jumped at the guards, quickly slashing two of them down, then turning to a fourth.

"What is this creature?" one of the guards asked and drew his pokeball. At once Kabutops unleashed a massive blast of water from its mouth, knocking the guards back, and causing their pokeballs to drop to the ground. It quickly slashed the pokeballs around it, destroying each of the releasing mechanisms. It then growled and quickly slashed up the remaining guards. Its eyes darted left and right, the look of an animal seeking more prey could be seen in its eyes.

The glass doors to Sylph Co. shattered stupendously as a large Machamp crashed through them, ramming its shoulders into Kabutops and sending it soaring through the air and into a shop window across the street. Several other men, all wearing black uniforms with a bright red "R" on their shirts, including a few vicious-looking pokemon, ran out through the enormous hole. A few of them knelt down beside their fallen comrades, and they were all muttering what sort of beast had done this. Kabutops crawled out of the shop, clearly injured but a fierce look in its eyes. The Team Rocket members pointed and shouted. One spoke, "It's a pokemon! Where's its trainer?"

A few looked around, and one of the men lying on the ground spoke, "It's too vicious to have a trainer, it's a renegade!" As Kabutops advanced upon them, the men released a few more of their pokemon. By now it was at least ten-to-one against Kabutops, and the Machamp was cracking its knuckles. Realizing the odds were against it, Kabutops slammed its scythes into the street, unleashing a massive Earthquake and splitting the road down the center. It ran off in the ensuing chaos, and all of the Team Rocket members began pursuing it.

Kiai gasped, and hissed, "Haunter! Invisible, get in there!" He placed his fingers to his temple again, and closed on eye. There was a moments pause as an invisible Haunter slipped into the foyer of the enemy stronghold. "It's… it's empty!"

"It probably won't be for long if we stay here. We've got to move quickly." Emily turned to the trainers. "Everyone ready? We're going to go in and make our way to the basement. We have to move quickly. While the guards may be gone for now, there's no doubt there a more inside the other floors. It won't take them long before they notice something is amiss and send guards down to check it out." The other trainers nodded. Emily then turned to Kiai. "We're ready, so let's go, unless you have another plan?"

Kiai turned to her and grinned. "Intelligence, subturfuge, misdirection, negotiation, psychology and common sense are all used up at this point." He leaned closer to her, and she caught that familiar glint in his eye. "Now, we charge." He stood up, turned around, and waved his arm for all the trainers. "LETS GO!" he shouted, tense and commanding. Every trainer grasped their weapon tightly and ran close behind him as he dashed down the last length of the block to the smashed doors. Immediately when he did, he unleashed Raticate. "Raticate, Quick Attack the security cameras!" Raticate launched off in a green blur, and returned to him as the trainers filled in the foyer. It was completely empty, save for some half-drunk coffee cups on the front desk. There were two elevators on either side. Kiai turned toward the group as Haunter and Butterfree reappeared over his shoulders. "This is where we split up. We don't know where they're keeping our pokemon, but they'll likely be in the labs in the basement. First one to find them, alert the rest of us." He turned toward the nearest elevator, but stopped after a few steps and turned back, a wicked grin on his face. "I don't care how." With that, he and Emily jogged toward the elevator, and stepped into it.

"All right, let's go!" one of the trainers shouted, and with that, the trainers dispersed, moving out to search the building. Shadow, Raticate, Haunter, and Butterfree all rushed into the elevator with Kiai and Emily, and she quickly looked up at the buttons. "Three basement floors," she spoke as she pushed a button at random. "Looks like we're going to Basement Second Floor." The elevator slowly descended down, and their pokemon readied themselves to jump out and attack the moment the doors opened if the need arose.

Kiai recalled Haunter, Butterfree and Raticate, then just as the doors to the elevator opened, he mashed the button for the top floor. They caught a quick glimpse of some crates of food and assorted gambling equipment. Emily turned to him, prepared to tell him all sorts of things, but he quickly pressed his finger to her lips. "Cut off the head, and the body will fall. The thugs will be on the upper floors. They'll have pokemon. The scientists will be in the labs. They won't have pokemon. We need to even the odds and take down as many thugs as we can and, if at all possible, cut off the head. If nothing else, we can buy the rest of them some time." He looked at Emily, his eyes very stern and serious. "This is not going to be easy. The numbers are against us and Team Rocket cheats. I can't do this alone. I know you want to be a breeder, but today, you need to be the best damn trainer in this city. Don't forget, there's only two left... and they're right here, in this elevator."

Emily nodded with a serious look. "I understand. Then we're going after the new leader of Team Rocket. If we can take him out, we'll do serious damage to Team Rocket as a whole. They're already disoriented from the loss of Giovanni, this will just make it worse." She pulled out two of her pokeballs. "We'll need everyone..." she tossed them down, releasing Goldy and Shellshocker from their pokeballs. "Sorry I had to do that, Shellshocker." Shellshocker looked up at Emily and nodded, as if understanding. "I can bring out Lapry when we get there...Lapry won't be much help if she's stuck in the elevator, after all."

Kiai turned toward Hypno. "Listen.. now that we're closer, can you locate Sabrina?" Emily looked at him inquisitively. Kiai glanced at her, and spoke, "I have a hunch. Team Rocket has always been vain, so I'm guessing they'll keep their trophies-" He got cut off as Hypno looked up and pointed toward the ceiling. Kiai grinned. "... nearby. He's probably got her in his office… that means… that means... Shit… not good... this is not good..."

"Then to get Sabrina, we'll have to take him out. That won't be easy, but we were going after him anyway..." Emily turned to her pokemon. "You guys ready for the fight of your life?" Her pokemon nodded, showing they were ready. They turned to the door and readied themselves, pulling themselves back into a position to launch off from to attack if necessary.

The elevator stopped. Kiai grasped a pokeball from his belt. His shoulders tensed. The doors opened to a lavish foyer with ornate lamps and a large, curved front desk at the end. It looked very much like the main entry foyer to the building, with two doors on either side of the desk which presumably led to the main office. There were four men who each wore a black suit coat with an "R" in the upper-right corner, black shirt, and black pants, hanging around the desk, and all of them turned to look at the people and pokemon strolling out of the elevator. One of them shouted the obvious, "Hey, you shouldn't be here!" and the rest of them reached for pokeballs on their belt.

"Very true," Emily spoke. "Shadow, hit them with a Confuse Ray." Shadow's eyes quickly flashed but it seemed to have no effect.

"Did you really think something like that would affect us, girly?" one of them asked with a smirk. "We're Team Rocket's head executives. We're ready for anything." The executive tossed a pokeball forward which instantly released a rather tall, green colored Machamp. It's skin seemed to shine brightly and Emily growled, recognizing exactly what this was.

"The Pokerus..." she spoke and the executive laughed. "Right you are, girly, all of us have Pokemon of this nature." In an instant, the other three all released a pokemon each of their own. One was a rather powerful looking Arcanine with golden fur, while another was a Golem who looked as if his body was made of gold, the last was a rather large Charizard, it's skin black as pitch. The four rockets laughed. "Let's see you take us on, girly."

Kiai drew out two pokeballs and dropped them onto the floor, releasing Haunter and Gyarados. The grunts on the other side of the foyer laughed. "C'mon kid, you've got to have at least six, right? You better bring out the rest of them, otherwise you're going to get flattened."

Kiai smiled serenely. "Oh, I've got six. I just don't need 'em for you guys." The goons gritted their teeth as Kiai sized them up. He stroked his chin, then pointed to the pokemon in front of him. "I'll take the Machamp and the Charizard. Emily, you can have the rest."

Emily nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem for my water-types."

"You think so? We'll show you the power of the Pokerus! Golem, use Thunderbolt on that Squirtle!" Golem roared as its eyes began to glow red and rose its hand into the air. Electricity began to collect in its hand and it swung it forward, unleashing a blast of electricity at Shellshocker.

"Lapry, protect!" Emily shouted and tossed Lapry's pokeball forward. The moment it appeared, it put up a barrier which blocked the Thunderbolt from striking it. "Now, Shellshocker and Goldy, use Water Gun!" They quickly breathed in, then unleashed blasts of water forward at the Golem. The Golem rose its hands to block, and afterwards, it smirked, appearing unharmed. "But how?"

The executive laughed. "My Golem can't be stopped by a simple Water Gun, little missy!"

"Now, Arcanine, unleash Fire Blast on that Lapras!" the other executive shouted and Arcanine breathed in, unleashing a blast of fire forward.

"Protect, Lapry!" Emily shouted, but it was no use, the barrier did not appear, and Lapry was knocked back by the force of the attack.

Kiai watched, non-plussed. He twitched an eyebrow as Lapry was knocked back. "Clever." He turned toward his foes. "But not clever enough." He grinned, and placed his fingertips onto his temple once again. Haunter vanished, and Gyarados unleashed an Ice Beam at the Charizard, which smacked it away with its tail. The two executives facing him stared with wide eyes, the one pointed at the Hypno behind him.

"He's using the Psychic type to relay orders! Machamp, deprive him of that ability!" The green Machamp lumbered across the room, flexing its massive muscles. As it neared Kiai, it raised two of its fists, then suddenly, its eyes turned into a black fog as Haunter reappeared, launching a Nightshade attack. The Machamp stumbled backwards and flung its fists blindly, breaking through walls as if they weren't even there.

Before the Executive had a chance to give it another order, the other one shouted, "Charizard, Fire Spin!" A massive wall of flame engulfed Kiai and Gyarados. Kiai screamed in pain as the fire licked his flesh, but it was only for a moment before Gyarados began dousing the flames with a Water gun.

"All right, guys, time to step it up a notch and give it everything we've got," Emily spoke and stared hard at the two pokemon before her. "Arcanine and Golem...fire and rock...both weak against water, but trained so that they're strong against both...which means..." She turned to Shadow. "Shadow, Faint Attack!" Shadow rushed forward, then began to swirl around the Arcanine, it's eyes followed it closely and Emily smirked. "Keep it up, Shadow!"

"What the hell are you trying to do, girly?"

"Just watch." After a moment, the Arcanine's eyes began to swirl as it became dizzy from watching Shadow run circles around it. The Golem roared and turned towards Shadow. "Lapry, use Ice Beam!" Suddenly, a beam of ice shot forward from behind Emily. Her Lapry had been knocked back, but it wasn't out. The Golem roared as the beam of ice slowly seemed to surround it, encasing it in a solid sheet of ice.

The executive smirked. "That won't be enough to stop my Golem, little girl!"

"Whoever said that was what I was trying to do?" She rose her hand. "In a battle like this...I have no choice but to go all out..." She looked at Kiai. "So...I apologize now for revealing this to the enemy..." She turned back. "Thunderbolt!" she shouted and unleashed a bolt of lightning straight at the encased Golem. The lightning shattered the ice, and with it, broke apart many of the rocks on Golem's body. "Shellshocker, Water Gun! Goldy, Hyper Beam!" Shellshocker unleashed a blast of water against the now exposed body of the Golem while Goldy unleashed a massive of beam of energy upon the same spot. The Golem roared before being thrown forward from the force, shattering through the window and crashing to the ground below.

The executive quickly looked down only to find his Golem was wiped out. "No! Golem!"

Kiai straightened up, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes and checking his arms for burns. They were red, and much of the hair was charred, but there was nothing too serious. He watched as Golem got thrown out of the building, then he pouted and turned toward Emily. "You stole my idea… darn it, now I'm going to have to knock them out the hard way." By this time, Machamp was regaining its vision, and Charizard looked set to deliver another vicious blast. Kiai sent a few more quick orders to his pokemon, his eyes flashing at the Charizard. Instantaneously, the Charizard unleashed a massive Flamethrower at Gyarados, who countered with a Hydro Pump. Steam quickly filled the room as the two combatants met, but very slowly, Gyarados' water was being pushed back. The Executive laughed gleefully as he saw his victory at hand, when suddenly, Haunter materialized behind Charizard, and spit out a mouthful of water onto its tail, temporarily dousing it. Charizard's flame immediately weakened, and Gyarados' water shot straight through and into Charizard's mouth. As Haunter fled, it grabbed Charizard's tail and forced it into the torrent, dousing it completely. Charizard fell, fainted.

"We still have Machamp and Arcanine, so don't think you've won yet!" the Machamp trainer shouted. "Machamp, use Seismic Toss on that Gyarados!" Machamp rushed forward but Emily smirked. Suddenly, Machamp doubled over, grabbing its stomach in pain. Shadow stood at its feet, a look of determination on its face.

"Machamp may be strong, but Shadow is fast. Shadow, give it a Psychic!" Shadow's eyes began to glow purple and Machamp felt like a great weight was beginning to crush down upon it. It struggled to stand, but Shadow's Psychic was too strong and was slowly forcing it down. "Now, everyone together on this one! Lapry, Goldy, Shellshocker, combine your Water Guns and hit that Arcanine!" At once all three of them unleashed blasts of water forward at Arcanine which combined at a point and shot a much larger and much stronger blast of water forward.

"Arcanine, Fire Blast!" the Arcanine Trainer shouted. Arcanine unleashed the blast of flame forward, but even that wasn't enough to stop the triple attack, and Arcanine was quickly knocked back by the torrent.

"Now, Goldy, Hyper Beam! Lapry, Ice Beam! Shellshocker, Skull Bash! All on that Machamp!" Shellshocker pulled its head back as it rushed forward at Machamp and Goldy and Lapry both unleashed their beams forward. The three attacks collided, knocking the Machamp back, knocked out. "Your Arcanine is all that's left, and it's too weak to fight all of us."

The Executive stood there, facing down his opponents. He gritted his teeth, and stood in frustrated contemplation. His eyes darted to the door next to him, and when they did, a brief flicker of fear crossed his face. He forced out his last shred of pride, and shouted, "Never underestimate Team Rocket! Arcanine, Self Destruct!" Arcanine howled and launched itself toward the group, glowing a brilliant gold-red. Shellshocker, Lapry, Goldy, Gyarados, Haunter and Shadow all launched counter-attacks, but when Arcanine detonated, the vast expanse of energy knocked all of them back, tearing through their defense like it wasn't even there. The lot of them, including Emily and Kiai, were thrown against the wall. Kiai himself was nearly knocked out, and all the pokemon took severe damage. The walls in the foyer all shattered, and several pieces of the ceiling broke and collapsed, revealing the starry sky. Kiai slowly got to his feet, rubbing his bruised head. Hypno, too, stood up, but Gyarados and Haunter were damaged. Kiai recalled them, then stooped to help Emily to her feet.

"Damn..." Emily spoke as she held her head. "That...was not fun at all..." She grabbed Kiai's hand and pulled herself up. "Well...that's all four of them I guess..." She looked around, noticing the executives were gone. "Did they get caught in the blast? Or did they just escape?" She then turned, noticing all of her pokemon had been wiped out from the blast, all except Shadow, who had taken quite a bit of damage from the blast. "Everyone, return!" She returned her pokemon, then looked at one of the pokeballs. "Sorry again, Shellshocker...I know you hate your ball...but there's not much choice..."

Kiai surveyed the foyer, and seeing it empty, he began to make his way across it, heading toward the doors on the far end. When he reached them, he felt an odd tingling in his fingertips, and Hypno stopped following him. Kiai glanced at Hypno, noticing that it was unwilling to go further. He stood there, at the closed doorway, as the pieces fell together. "I know where Sabrina is… and I know what's beyond this door… and it's not going to be pretty…" He raised an empty pokeball and recalled Hypno. Turning toward the door, he grasped the knob, took a deep breath, and walked in. There, sitting behind a cherry red mahogany desk was a thin, grim-looking man with a hooked nose and straight, black hair. Behind him were the four Executives, as well as a scientist clutching a small case. Kiai felt a knot appear in his throat as he noticed who was chained to the wall.. Sabrina, unconscious, her long, black hair hanging in front of her face. Her skin, however, was an odd shade of green, and her fingertips were longer and sported claws.

The man behind the desk spoke, his voice deep and sinister, "How long until she awakens, doctor?"

The scientist replied, "Any second now, Sir." Sure enough, just after he spoke, Sabrina gave a stir. Kiai recoiled as she opened her eyes… and revealed what were no longer human eyes.

Emily slowly walked towards Kiai, seeing the look of terror on his face. When she turned in to look, she saw what had struck him. "What did they do to her?"

"Ah, welcome," the thin man spoke as he turned to Kiai and Emily, a smirk on his face. His eyes were covered in shadow from the light that seemed to shine forth from the window behind him. "You are the ones who defeated my executives, are you? Clever, very clever. I assure you, they will get quite the punishment for failing." He stepped forward, away from the light, and his face was soon visible. At once, Emily's eyes went wide. She knew this man somehow, but from where?

"So, you're the girl with the electric powers, huh? Yes, I remember you. My name is Alfonzo Elenoi. Several years back I was the scientist in charge of a special project. We called it the 'Pocket Human Project'. Our goal was to create a human with the powers of a Pokemon. The finances came from a young lady who had lost her only daughter, and she tried to clone her in an attempt to revive her. There was a finished project, but someone stole it from us one day. That must have been you." Emily's eyes went wide. She recognized the man now. She had seen him in the vision Mew had given her. Alfonzo laughed. "Yes, you recognize me now. We've since upgraded the project. Behold, our first successful attempt at converting a human into a pokemon." He waved to Sabrina. "Isn't it just delightful?"

"It's despicable!" Emily shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't believe it...do you think you can just do whatever the hell you want?"

"Yes, actually," Alfonzo spoke and laughed. "In fact, I'll clue you in even deeper. I have been the head of Team Rocket since our leader's unfortunate demise at Mt. Moon...May Giovanni forever rest in peace." Emily growled even more. "Since then, I have completed our research we were doing at Mt. Moon. The Pokerus we developed has been perfected, and also..." Alfonzo pulled a small chip from his pocket. "I believe you know what this is. Your Kabutops had one implanted in his skull. It didn't work, but we have perfected it as well."

"The Rage Enhancers..." Emily spoke. Her body was shaking from anger.

"Yes. All we needed after that was a way to mass produce both products. Silph Co. is the group responsible for producing Pokeballs and other similar Pokemon items. We knew we would need a place like this, so we built an army and attacked Saffron City. Our greatest threat was Officer Jenny and Sabrina. We first hit Sabrina, wiping her out. After that, we stole her psychic pokemon and used them to hypnotize Officer Jenny and the entire Saffron police force!" Alfonzo bellowed a laugh. "After that, we took the Pokemon of all of the trainers inside of Saffron. Knowing people would try to call for aid, we also cut all communication to the outside. From there, we created a web of lies to make people believe Kanto was coming to save Saffron, but in reality, no one in Kanto would even know that Saffron was in any form of danger. That is, of course, until it was too late. Once we were ready, our army would go out and wipe out the Kanto region, and leave us, Team Rocket, as rulers of the land! From there, we would spread out and eventually the world would be ours!"

Kiai, who was listening intently to his speech, barely stifled a snicker at the last portion. Alfonzo glared at him. "Cheeky boy. I heard how you took the last battle. You better not be so immature for this one."

Kiai straightened up and returned his glare. "Come on, now. Take over the world? Impossible. Even if we don't stop you here, every trainer in Kanto knows what you're doing, and every single one loyal to oppose you is on their way, now, tonight." Alfonzo's confident sneer began to melt away as he spoke. "Ash Ketchum will probably be here in a few hours, and we all know how much trouble you've had with him. Not to mention every active Gym leader and every Officer Jenny that you haven't corrupted, and let me tell you, the latter group is not going to like what you did to their cousin. You should give up now, before we have to hurt you."

Alfonzo stared at him, dead-pan. His eyes had glazed over, and his lips twitched as he considered the onslaught converging upon him. Overwhemled, he turned to rage. "Impossible!" he shouted, "With Sabrina under my control, I can get away with anything! And you kids don't have any pokemon left to stop me with!"

Kiai smiled serenely and unclasped a ball from his belt. "Don't you know? Save your best for last. Raticate!"

"And she may be injured, but Shadow is still able to fight!" She tossed Shadow's Luxury Ball forward, unleashing Shadow. It growled as its feet landed squarely on the ground and its rings began to glow as it seemed to absorb the moon light from outside of the windows. Its wounds quickly healed up, and it smirked, showing it was ready to fight. "And you've got me as well. If you think we'll only let our Pokemon do the fighting, you're sadly mistaken. Because even if our Pokemon fell, we still have our fists, and our feet, and I have my electric powers. So give it up, because there's no way you can win!"

"Foolish girl! Fine, I will teach you both the meaning of respect! Sabrina, come forth and deal with this!" Without moving her head, the chains binding Sabrina rattled, then splintered. Her feet touched the ground for a minute before she floated into the air. She slowly looked up, glaring at Kiai with unblinking eyes. A pokeball rose from her vest and hovered in front of them. In a splintered second, it released an Alakazam, its body a swath of blood red and sky blue. It held up two spoons, bent and twisted like something out of a horror movie. The air in the office felt like it was filling up with static electricity. Kiai swallowed hard, and Raticate growled with its hair on end.

Emily bit her lip and growled as she stepped back a little. "All right, we know Psychic types are weak against Ghost type moves, and also Shadow can't be hurt by Psychic type moves. So we do have some advantage that way...but not much..." She looked down at Shadow. "Shadow, use your Shadow Ball!" Shadow nodded and opened its mouth. A ball of ghostly energy appeared in front of it, and after a moment, it shot forward at Alakazam. However, Alakazam simply rose its spoon up, and the ball stopped in mid-air before swirling back at Emily, knocking her in the chest. "Augh!"

Kiai stared back at Sabrina, desperately trying to match her unflinching gaze. He ran through scenarios in his mind, but each time, he felt a presence, as if someone was trying to force their way into his thoughts. It was all he had to keep the presence out, and his heart rate quickened, as he realized he couldn't form a strategy whilst keeping up a defense against the mental attack. He both felt and saw Sabrina smile, and he knew that that was her very intention. "Clever girl.." he spoke. "Figure out my plan, knowing that once you know it, I won't be able to use it against you…" A grin suddenly flickered into his lips, and his eyes lit up. The smile on Sabrina's face faded away. "But if I didn't know what was going to happen, neither would you." He continued to match her gaze, when, without warning or command, Raticate's body began to vibrate. It became tense as a bowstring, ready to pounce. Sabrina's eyes flickered down toward it, and Kiai saw his chance. He focused his mental energies not on his strategy, but on Sabrina. He sent her the thought, "If you can do it, I can to!" and grinned when he felt his consciousness stab into hers.

Sabrina growled and looked back up at Kiai. Alakazam then rose its spoons and aimed them forward. Suddenly, a huge beam of psychic energy short forward from its eyes towards Raticate, but Shadow quickly jumped in the way, blocking the attack. "Good job, Shadow," Emily spoke and Shadow smirked. The attack had had no affect. "Shadow, try using Confuse Ray!" Shadow's eyes flashed, but the Alakazam simply closed his eyes. It seemed to have blocked the attack, but when its eyes opened, they flashed and Shadow found itself confused and it immediately began to lash out at the nearest object. "Shadow!" Emily growled. "That Alakazam can reflect our attacks right back at us."

Sabrina's face contorted with effort, and Kiai's grew more cheerful as he realized he could combat Sabrina at this level. Raticate's claws dug into the wooden floor as Alakazam prepared another Psychic blast, this time aimed at Kiai. Raticate growled menacingly, and Alakazam realized what it meant; if it had launched the attack at Kiai, it would leave him open for Raticate. Alakazam switched its target to Raticate, who leapt quickly, almost instantaneously to the side. Alakazam paused again, realizing that it wouldn't be able to hit Raticate at that speed.

Emily watched Alakazam and Raticate for a moment, noticing their stances. She closed her hand, a plan formulating quickly. "Shadow, return!" she spoke and zapped Shadow back into its ball, only for her to toss it out once more. "Returning a Pokemon breaks confusion effects," she spoke more to herself then anything. "Now I just need to..." Shadow seemed to sense what Emily was planning and nodded. It turned and rushed over to Raticate, giving Alakazam two targets to focus upon. Emily waited a moment, then, right at the moment when Alakazam unleashed a blast of psychic energy forward, she rushed forward. Electricity shot through her arm and she quickly brought her fist up to strike. "Thunder Punch!" she shouted striking the Alakazam in the head in its moment of vulnerability. This caused Alakazam to stumble a little, allowing Shadow to unleash a quick Shadow Ball, followed up by a Quick Attack from Raticate directly into Alakazam's side.

Outraged by the onslaught, Alakazam threw a powerful Psychic blast in all directions. Emily got thrown back against the wall, but was protected by Shadow. Raticate dashed away and evaded it. Kiai took it, full force, but his eyes never left Sabrina's even when he crashed into the wall. He slowly approached her, Alakazam made a move as if to attack Kiai, but was stopped by a silent command. Everyone watched as Kiai stood face to face with Sabrina. He slowly raised a hand to her cheek. "I found you.. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. It's ok. It's over now." Sabrina's gaze softened, and she fell to her knees, her eyes closed. Kiai dropped down with her, supporting her as she fell. Alakazam flinched, shook its head, then roared in anger.

Alfonzo stared, horrified. "Without Sabrina to control it.. there's no telling what it will do.." he spoke. Sure enough, a moment later, Alakazam released an immense blast of Psychic energy, crumbling the walls and sending Alfonzo, Kiai, Emily, Raticate, Sabrina and Shadow tumbling through the collapsed wall and into the foyer. The rest were not so lucky, being launched out of the building.

"You fool..." Alfonzo spoke as he pushed himself to try and stand. "Look at what you have done...the Alakazam is out of control!"

Emily slowly stumbled to her feet, then looked down to notice Shadow was standing, relatively unharmed. It bent down, it's rings glowing brightly once again as it began to take in moonlight. "We have to stop it..." Emily spoke and closed her eyes. "Shadow, you're the only one who can break through its psychic blasts. You have to stop it!" Shadow nodded. It took off to its right, increasing its speed slowly as it began to spiral towards Alakazam. As it grew closer, the psychic waves grew stronger, but Shadow pushed hard against them. Finally, when it was as close as it could go, it opened its mouth and a ball of ghostly energy formed once more. It absorbed as much power into it that it could, then unleashed the ball forward into the Alakazam's back. This made it roar loudly as it felt itself falling forward. It's psychic blasts stopping while it was momentarily distracted. Quickly, Raticate rushed forward, striking the Alakazam in the chest with a Quick Attack, while Shadow followed up by striking it in the back with Faint Attack. It fell to the ground, and Shadow sat on Alakazam's neck, unleashing a Shadow Ball into the back of it's head. The final attack knocked the pokemon out for the moment.

Kiai laid Sabrina down and quickly got to his feet. Raticate and Shadow backed off from Alakazam as Emily and Kiai cautiously approached it. A tense, silent moment passed before Emily spoke, "Is it-" She was cut off as an enraged Alakazam sprung back to its feet, its eyes glowing blood red. It lashed out with its mind, throwing Emily, Kiai and Raticate back, though not as forcibly. It's anger, this time, was directed at Shadow. It approached the dark pokemon with it's arms outstretched, then summoned a massive Thunderbolt, which struck it hard. Raticate, sensing its chance, leapt at Alakazam, biting its wrist. Alakazam threw down its twisted spoon, grasping Raticate and throwing it across the room, launching a Psybeam after it, hitting it in mid-air, and causing it to fall to the ground, completely knocked out. Kiai took one look at his injured friend, and threw a vicious right hook at Alakazam, knocking it to its knees. Alakazam responded with another Psybeam, doubling Kiai over in pain and sending him tumbling in a heap next to Raticate.

"Damn it, there has to be a way to stop this thing!" Emily shouted as she pulled herself to her feet.

Alfonzo laughed. "There...is no way...the Rage Enhancer has reached Critical! There is no way to stop it now! The Pokemon will be enraged forever now!" He bellowed out a laugh, only to have Alakazam unleash a Psybeam at him and knock him down and out.

Emily growled as she stretched her hand forward. "I have to stop it now...it's up to me...I have to-" Emily stopped as she stared forward. A large scythe grabbed the edge of the building, then another did the same. They pushed together, and from them came Kabutops. Its feet landed upon the ground and it looked up at Alakazam, rage showing in its eyes. "Two enraged Pokemon..." Emily spoke. Alakazam and Kabutops seemed to stare each other down now. "Who could possibly win this?" Kabutops roared and rushed forward, slamming head first into Alakazam. Alakazam immediately unleashed a Psychic blast at Kabutops, pushing them both back.

"Kabu, kabutops!" Kabutops spoke.

"Alakazam!" Alakazam responded then threw its hand forward, unleashing a psychic barrier in front of it. Kabutops didn't care and ran headlong into the barrier. It was deflected off, but a moment later, it dug its scythes into the barrier. The two seemed to stand at a stalemate as Alakazam fought to keep the barrier up, while Kabutops fought to break the barrier down.

Emily bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Please...let this end all of this..." she spoke as she clenched her fists. Electricity began to store in her body. Her body began to glow from the charged energy and she rose her hands up into the air. It was as if nature then reacted and dark clouds began to form overhead. Emily screamed in pain as her body wasn't used to storing this much electricity at one time. However, she refused to let go as more filled her body. "Thunder!" she shouted after a moment and the electricity shot up from her body into the dark clouds above. A moment later, and it came down, striking Alakazam and Kabutops hard. The release of so much electricity at one place then caused an explosion that forced shrapnel and smoke all around. A moment later and Alakazam was down once again with Kabutops barely standing. Emily's eyes then went dim and she collapsed to the ground completely knocked out from the move.

Kabutops, with great effort, lumbered over to the fallen Alakazam, dragging its scythes and tail behind it. As it reached its fallen foe, it put one clawed foot on its chest and roared triumphantly. The roar shook Kiai awake, and he turned, painfully, to seek Kabutops scornfully kick Alakazam, then walk over to a cracked wall. With one swift kick, the wall shattered, revealing the open air. It dug one of its scythes into the wall and slid down, disappearing into the night. Kiai pulled a pokeball from his belt and recalled Raticate, then slowly attempted to sit up. As he did, he saw Alakazam stir. His heart gave a great leap; he knew there was no one left to combat it. Alakazam rose and glared at Emily. It raised one of its hands, and a dark orb gathered in its palm. Kiai struggled to crawl over to Emily, hoping to shield her from the blast, when suddenly, it stopped and lowered its hand. Kiai stared at it, shocked. Before he could determine what happened, the answer was given to him; Sabrina, propped up on one of her elbows, one hand grasping a pokeball reaching toward Alakazam, spoke softly, "Stop… no more… come back… now…" Alakazam obediently returned to its pokeball, and Sabrina collapsed, unconscious. Realizing it was finally over, Kiai allowed his weak body to overwhelm him, and fell unconscious as well, by Emily's side. Several hours later, when the sun was shining through the cracked and crumbled walls and ceiling, and several voices from all around stirred him, he woke up and looked around. It took him a moment to get his bearings. He saw that Emily was still unconscious, and Shadow had curled up with her. Sabrina was where she was left, but he was shocked to find that Alfonzo was missing.

"This looks like the most beat down place, let's check there," came a voice and Kiai turned. From the direction of the sun, he could see a dark silhouette. It looked like a small bird at first, but its size grew as it grew closer. Then, when it was finally close enough that its size blotted out the sun, he saw what it was. A large Pidgeot landed on the edge of the building, and from the Pidgeot slid a male trainer. Kiai stared at the man a moment, noticing the blue jeans and the white shirt along with a red jacket with a red hat. When his face finally came out of the sun, he recognized the man right away. It was Ash Ketchum. "Hey, Kiai."

Kiai tried to stand, but when he did, he realized his entire body ached. Surrendering the effort, he flopped down onto the floor and stared up at Ash. "Hey, Ash. How's it hanging?" As soon as he finished speaking, a feathery ball landed beside him and began nuzzling him. He chucked, even though it made his chest howl with pain. "I missed you too, Fearow. You did a good job." He looked up at Ash. "Alfonzo got away… Shadow, Emily and Sabrina need medical attention… in fact, all of our pokemon do… but whatever you do, don't release Sabrina's… it's got the pokerus, and a rage enhancer…"

"Alfonzo?" Ash blinked. "You'll have to explain later. You're right, though, you all need medical attention." He quickly released a Machoke. "Hurry, Machoke, get them onto Pidgeot. Pidgeot, take them to the Pokemon Center." Machoke and Pidgeot nodded and grabbed up both Emily and Kiai and set them on Pidgeot's back. Ash then lifted Sabrina up himself and walked her over to his Pidgeot and set her upon it. Pidgeot then took off and Ash turned back to the mess. "Looks like one heck of a battle took place here..." He then knelt down and picked up a small chip off the floor. "Wonder what this is..." He looked up and Pikachu hopped off his shoulder. The rest of Ash's time was spent looking over what was left of the computers to see what information he could get from them. When he was done, he returned to the Pokemon Center, where he found Kiai and Emily and their Pokemon were being treated. Officer Jenny was there as well.

"Good news," Jenny spoke with a smile. "Saffron's back in our hands. The Trainers are getting their Pokemon back, and a good majority of Team Rocket's forces are under captivity. There's some that we're missing, such as the Team Rocket Five, along with other possible grunts, but it seems the majority of Team Rocket's force were here."

Ash smiled. "That's good to know. Now we just wait till they wake up. After that, we'll see what happened here."

The day crawled on, and Emily and Kiai slept until nearly the afternoon. Kiai was the first one awake, and like before, it took him a minute to get his bearings. Once he realized he was at the Pokemon Center, and he remembered Ash, he knew all was well. He slowly, painfully sat up and slipped out of the bed. Emily was in the bed next to him. They weren't in a room, rather they were in hospital beds where they could be monitored. He hobbled over to Emily and put one hand on hers. He smiled at her as he stroked it gently. "We did it, kid… we beat 'em…"

"We...did?" Emily asked as her eyes slowly opened, a smile appearing on her face. "That's great..." She turned her eyes to look at Kiai. "Do me a favor? Next time...should I try to conduct that much electricity again...warn me it'll hurt like a bitch." She tried to laugh, but she felt pain in her whole body when she did, so she switched to just smiling.

Kiai smiled and brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes. "No problem, kid." They shared a brief smile before being interrupted by a very irritated Nurse Joy with her fists on her hips.

"What are you doing out of bed, young man?" Nurse Joy shouted. Kiai felt far too tired to give her an explanation, so he reached over to his hospital bed and dragged it across the floor until it was closer to Emily's. Nurse Joy's fair cheeks paled as she watched, and Kiai smiled, almost apologetically. Once he hopped back into bed, not without a grimace, Nurse Joy began angrily busying herself with things, muttering under her breath words that sounded very much like "irresponsible", "dangerous" and "could have died."

"Hey, Kiai," Emily spoke after a moment as she looked over at him. "Thanks...for being on this adventure with me...I think I've said it before, but I don't know where I'd be without you." Kiai was about to speak when the door to their room flew open and a very irate Amy stepped into the room.

"Hey, you can't be in here right now," Nurse Joy spoke up.

"I don't care," Amy spoke as she stormed over to her sister, giving a death glare. "I heard you and Kiai went after the head of Team Rocket yourself..." she spoke in a very monotone voice.

"Y-yes..." Emily spoke. Amy was always a nice person to her, but when Amy was angry, Emily knew she was a force to be reckoned with.

The dam broke. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING THIS IS TEAM ROCKET, THE MOST NOTORIOUS VILLIANS IN THE WORLD OF POKEMON, AND YOU WENT STRAIGHT INTO THEIR LAIR WITHOUT ALERTING ANYONE! YOU COULD HAVE DIED, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED, YOUR POKEMON COULD HAVE BEEN STOLEN AND TORTURED! THAT WAS THE MOST IRRESPONSIBLE THING I'VE EVER HEARD OF ANYONE DOING! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD BE SO IGNORANT TO FOLLOW THIS ADVENTURE -HUNGRY BASTARD-"

"Amy!" Emily shouted and Amy closed her mouth. Emily sighed. "Look...yeah, it was stupid...yes, I was ignorant...but the fact is, we saved all of Saffron City by doing it...and we stopped their plot."

Amy growled. "I don't care!" she shouted and Emily flinched. She breathed in deeply, then exhaled as well. "The truth is...I could have lost you…I don't care if you're my real sister or not...I still care about you all the same. I want you to be safe. Going up against Team Rocket is one thing, but going straight to their base of operations? To their very headquarters? Team Rocket literally set up their main headquarters here in Saffron. All other Team Rocket bases have been more or less emptied. What haven't been emptied were left with a skeleton crew of six or seven grunts. The Team Rocket Five themselves were even here for heaven's sake, and from what I'm told, you even went up against them!" Amy turned away and growled. "It was reckless, it was stupid...and you should have at least called me first...I could have helped...you're nowhere near as strong as me, sis..." She turned back to Emily. "You and I both know that."

"True..." Emily spoke and smiled, "but that just means, I have to get stronger, and to do that, I have to keep fighting, right? You never turn away from a battle, so neither do I."

Amy sighed. "True...and I guess...it wasn't so reckless...after all...I did fight that one Pokemon..."

"Truth be told," spoke Kiai, trying to remain calm as he spoke, "we did send a message to Ash the moment we heard.. but we also couldn't wait. Sabrina was captured and being tortured… I couldn't leave her like that, it would have been ungentlemanly. Plus, if they weren't stopped, more things would have happened… they were trying to conquer the world. We probably all would have been killed in a month if we didn't stop them now. So… it was really the best option." Amy stared at him for a few moments. He tried to stare back, but couldn't match her piercing gaze.

Finally Amy relented, and spoke, "You're right.. I just don't want to admit that you're right."

Kiai laughed as much as his tight chest would allow. "And that's what makes you a good sister." he spoke, smiling at Amy.

Amy laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She then sat down in a chair next to Emily. "So, Emily, other then Team Rocket, how has your adventure been going?" Emily smiled and immediately began to ramble about their adventure. Kiai filled in some minor points she either forgot to mention or just completely forgot, and in the end Amy turned away with a smile. "Sounds a lot like me when I was young like you." She sighed and stared at the ceiling. "I have to go...but I'll leave you with these parting words." Emily and Kiai looked at her curiously.

"Professor Oak wants you to call him once you're okay, Mother still hasn't received a call from you since you left on your adventure, and your next step should be to Celadon. If you're good enough to journey by next week, they've got a Pokemon Convention going on called 'Sinnoh Con'. Last year I picked up some nice Pokemon there. If you want to flesh out your team better, you might try checking that out." Emily nodded. "And, I said it already, but I'll put it this way as well. If I get one more call from Mom asking 'When is Emily going to call home?' I'll be sure to come to wherever you are, pick your ass up, and drag you kicking and screaming back home. So call your Mom the moment you're able to!" Amy shot Emily a death glare and she quickly pulled the covers over her head. Amy laughed, then walked out of the room.

Kiai chuckled softly. "She's always an interesting one. But that Sinnoh Con sounds cool. We'll have to check it out. Plus, why haven't you called home? Can't you just use your pokégear to call?"

Emily blinked. "I...hadn't thought about it..." she looked away and sighed. She pulled her pokegear off her wrist then looked up at Nurse Joy. "Is it okay if I call home?"

"After the way your sister reacted, I'd say it's a good idea," Nurse Joy responded. Emily quickly opened the phone menu on her pokegear and selected her mom's number. The next several hours were spent with Kiai and Emily talking to her Mom on the phone. They discussed everything from their adventures so far to what they had discovered about themselves and each other. Finally, Emily put her pokegear away when she finished and she turned to Kiai. "We'll call Professor Oak in the morning...see what he wants. Then we can head off for Celadon once we're able to get out of here."

Nurse Joy sighed. "I'm afraid that's not all. Your story was kept secret by all of those in charge, so, of course, everyone knows about it. You'll have to talk to Officer Jenny at some point.. she'll need to question you... and oh, this is all just a big mess. Just for now, get some rest you two. There will be plenty of time for discussion and story-telling later."

Kiai nodded, but wasn't really listening. "How are our pokemon, and how is Sabrina?" he asked. Joy looked at him. "Your pokemon are fine, just very tired. Sabrina will be fine… she's just very, very tired… and… I don't know about.." She trailed off, but Kiai finished it for her.

"Her condition?"

"Yes," responded Nurse Joy. "It is… unique, to say the least."

"Seeing as this is the first time you've encountered such a thing, I'm not surprised..." Emily sighed. "I wonder if there's a way to remove the change Team Rocket did...and if so...I wonder if...it would work on me..." she looked down at her hands. After a moment, she shook her head. "What am I saying? I have no need to get rid of this...it's helped us a lot...and it probably will continue to. I should be happy I have this..."

Kiai nodded. "Also, yours comes from birth. At that level, everything becomes much more ingrained. Even if you did remove some of it, I doubt you'd be able to remove all of it. As for Sabrina, her genes were artificially spliced very recently… it could be that she'll just get a similar antidote.

Emily nodded. "Yeah...besides, it's not really a curse to have these powers...if anything is a curse, it's the fact I'm a clone and not a natural born human...but regardless of that, I really have no reason to hate my powers either...so I'm not sure why I even thought of it..." She sighed. "In either case, let's get some rest. We'll deal with whatever comes tomorrow when it comes, like we always have. For now, I just want to sleep..." She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

Kiai smiled at her and relaxed into the soft hospital beds. The last thing he did before falling sleep beside her was to reach out and gently grasp her hand.


	21. Aftermath

**Chapter 21: Aftermath**

Tired though he was, the busy hospital did not allow a restful sleep for Kiai. He woke up to a fair amount of commotion and to-do, and in his semi-dreaming state, his active mind began formatting his surroundings. He took the shouting, and occasional crying, of many young voices, as well as the irritated but commanding issuances of Officer Jenny, plus a few others he couldn't immediately place, to deduce (accurately, he would later be surprised to learn) that sorting out what pokemon belonged to whom had taken the better part of the day, and was still going on. He looked across the bed to see that Emily was still sleeping, and that he was still grasping her hand. Without any conscious decision, his mind immediately wondered if Emily would get more rest inside of a pokeball. He closed his eyes and shook off the strange image, then stared up at the ceiling, blinking a few times in an attempt to relieve himself of his tired stupor. When he finally did, he sat up and brushed Emily's hair out of her face.

After seeing her only stir a little, Kiai stretched in the hospital bed, somewhat relieved that his muscles did not ache as much as they did earlier in the day. He let go of Emily and twisted around in his bed, slowly swinging his feet over the side and standing up. He stood up straight, wincing slightly as the muscles in his back argued against this sudden turn of events. He noticed a shadow standing by the hospital curtain that had enclosed them. Walking over to a break in the curtain, he pulled it aside and stuck his head out, to see a tired and somewhat disheveled Amy standing guard, her weary but sharp eyes observing the goings-on. Kiai twisted his face into something he hoped appeared cheerful and spoke, "Hi there."

Amy turned to look at Kiai. "Hey," she spoke with a sigh. She looked down at her pokegear which she had in her hand. She seemed as if she was anticipating it was going to ring at any second.

Kiai's eyes traveled around the Pokemon center. There was, as he guessed, a great crowd of young pokemon trainers, nearly all the ones that accompanied them the previous night, huddled around a large pile of pokeballs. Many were digging through to find their own stylized balls, though many had no style, and pokemon were being released randomly in hopes that one trainer might recognize their pokemon, or vice-versa. Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, along with Ash and Misty, were all helping the trainers to sort everything out. There were a few trainers who were hugging their most beloved pokemon, and a few that were crying, as they discovered that a rare few had indeed been subjected to the Pokerus. As emotional as it was, Kiai knew that this had been going on all day, so he casually spoke to Amy, "So, what's up?"

"Exhausted..." Amy spoke and gave another sigh as she looked up from her pokegear. "I've been here helping with returning the stolen pokeballs. On top of that, the Pokemon Association has been calling me nonstop...I answered the first couple times...but I can only take so much yelling..." She sat her head back and closed her eyes. "Sometimes I wish I could just give up being the Champion...There's so many rules and regulations you have to follow...and they don't care what causes you to break them...makes it almost impossible to have an ordinary life..."

Kiai stepped out of the curtains and joined Amy standing next to them. "Why can't you give up being Champion? I mean, you're good at what you do, so naturally you'd want to do it.. but in the end, no one hired you.. you could quit any time you'd like. Can't you?"

"I wish it were that simple..." Amy turned to actually look Kiai in the eyes now. "Tell me, exactly how much do you know about the Pokemon Association and the Shittenou?"

Kiai thought about it for a moment. "Well, I know you have to register when you become a trainer, but everyone does that, even people who don't want to be a trainer.. I mean, Professor Oak even has a registration card, it's almost the same as mine.. I mean, it's like a driver's license. As for the Shittenou... well, I never thought of them as anything other than really good trainers… I figured scientists and the PA called upon them because they knew a lot..." Kiai returned Amy's look, realizing now just how little he truly knew of the Pokemon Association, and trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I see..." She turned to look forward. "The Pokemon Association is the name of the company that more or less regulates everything to do with Pokemon. They determine who can be trainers and who can't be. They regulate the rules of catch, battle, and train. If someone goes against those rules, the Pokemon Association will sometimes step in, though usually they leave it up to the Officers, as most rule breaking also involves regular law breaking, such as stealing Pokemon and so on. However, there are the few cases where the Association themselves steps in."

"In the aspect of the Shittenou...the Shittenou are four trainers considered to be the strongest of that region. Several years back, they decided to expand upon the Pokemon League. They took all of the winners of previous tournaments and pitted them against each other. From those who entered the tournament, the five who did the best became known as the top trainers. Based upon their places in the tournament, they were given the positions of the Shittenou and the Champion. When the Champion is defeated, he steps down and becomes one of the Shittenou, in turn, when this happens, the lowest rank Shittenou steps down. Last year, I fought against the Shittenou and their Champion was Lance. When I defeated Lance, he stepped down and became a Shittenou. Equally, Shittenou Agatha, who was the head of the Shittenou stepped down to the second rank. Shittenou Bruno stepped down to the third rank, while Shittenou Lorelei stepped down to the fourth rank. The original fourth rank Shittenou, a woman by the name of Janine, then stepped down from the Shittenou. She, in turn, took over her father's gym in Fuschia City."

"If, for any reason, the Champion should be unable to complete his or her duties, the Shittenou once again climb up the ranks. Meaning that, if I was found unfit to be the Champion, Lance would return to being the Champion. Quitting, however, is not an option. Once you are the Champion, you are stuck in that position until you are defeated or found unfit to continue. This is to prevent any of the Shittenou or the Champion from quitting suddenly and forcing them to have to change the ranks. Changing the ranks takes several months to complete due to the paperwork that is involved, during that time, the Shittenou Challenge shuts down." She sighed and shook her head. "So, quitting isn't optional...however, the Association is beginning to have second thoughts about me..."

Kiai narrowed his eyes as he took her response in. "That.. seems awfully unfair. I certainly can't pretend to know much about the Association, but I've never heard of injunctions against trainers... and the representative that gave me my license was very friendly. It sounds like they're actually very cruel."

"They can be to some people...The Shittenou are sometimes considered to be the biggest representation of the Pokemon Association. Naturally, if one of them acts up, they would take greater force to correct the problem with them then with anyone else." Amy sighed. "But that's not all...you know how there are gyms everywhere?" Kiai nodded in response. "Well, the Gym Leaders are also assigned by the Pokemon Association. The Association determines what cities can have gyms and what cities cannot. When a person wants to become a Gym Leader, they have to enter a test. Based on the results of the test, the Pokemon Association will determine if they are fit to run a Gym or not. If they are, then they will send them through a second test. This test will determine what kind of Gym they will run, and where in the runnings the Gym will be. Gyms are allowed to decline challenges if the challenger does not reach a certain skill level, which is determined by their badges. Most of the time, people just go for Pewter City first, but the truth is, most of the previous Gym Leaders of Viridian City wouldn't accept a challenge unless the trainer already had seven badges. The usual path is Pewter, Cerulean, Vermillion, Celadon, Saffron, Fuschia, Cinnabar, then finally Viridian. Professor Oak himself is part of the Pokemon Association, and is on the board that votes for Gym Leaders. While most wouldn't admit it, he is considered to be very wise and they usually vote based upon what he votes. If he votes someone as a Gym Leader, a good percentage of the board will vote accordingly. Ash and Gary were both voted in as Gym Leaders because of Professor Oak. I think nobody would have voted for either had Oak not voted form them first."

Kiai stroked his chin as he listened to her. A child ran past clutching two pokeballs as if they were her first meal in a month. "Strange.." he spoke, not really to Amy or anyone in particular, but more simply voicing his thoughts at the time, "that something so warm could be so cold."

Amy nodded. "Each region of our world contains its own Pokemon Association with its own set of rules. However, they all follow a standard of sorts, like the fact you can only carry six Pokemon at a time, the fact you need eight badges to get into the League, and that you have to win the League to take the Shittenou Challenge. As such, though, each region also has their own Shittenou and Champion of that League. The only exception to this is Johto. Both Kanto and Johto are separate regions, but they share the same Association, and as such, the same League and the same Shittenou. Technically speaking, I'm the Champion of both Kanto and Johto because of that, though as I'm a Kanto competitor and I defeated the Shittenou after beating the Kanto League, I was labeled as the Kanto Champion."

"Seems like a hell of a thing. So then, what are you waiting on?" He motioned toward the pokegear she was still gripping. "Are they going to call you to gripe about this latest atrocity, or what?"

"Something like that...I've just kind of been hitting the ignore on my pokegear the last few times they've called..." Amy sighed. "See...it's not so bad that I rushed here to see Emily when I heard the news...the thing they're mad about is...I had a battle scheduled today...I was getting ready for it, and I had about five minutes before I had to go on...Then I got the call about Emily and you, so I rushed off. My manager yelled at me about it as I was leaving, but I didn't pay any mind to it at all. My family was more important to me then their match. The Association has been calling me to yell at me about it since...It takes a lot of paperwork just to schedule the match, because, in the event of my lose in the match, the challenger would become the Champion, so they basically have to do the paperwork required to make the person the Champion as well, they just don't sign and seal it until the match ends with my loss...So now they have to do the paperwork again in order to reschedule the match...and they're not too happy about that..."

"Family is more important than paperwork." Kiai remained silent for a moment, then he spoke up again. "I think I'll beat the Champion, then forfeit before winning. I don't need the title to know that I've won..." He trailed off as another child ran past, not clutching a pokeball, but a squirming Rattata. "So..." He paused again to find the right words. "Where's the bastard that kidnapped, mutilated and used Sabrina, and who hijacked the city and stole all of these pokemon?"

"We don't know..." Amy looked back out to the Pokemon Center. "Ash and I spent a good part of the day searching around Saffron for any remnants of Team Rocket, including the Team Rocket Five...we didn't find any of them...However, with the grunts we've captured, and what we did manage to get from Saffron's systems, most of Team Rocket was based here. We got the locations of some of their other bases, too, and we've already sent officers out to those places. Most of them had skeleton crews who had no idea what was going on...we can only assume the Team Rocket Five did not return to the other bases to explain what happened...probably thought it too risky...We're looking in to see how far the Team Rocket presence has spread, but it seems most of them were based here in Kanto."

Kiai's eyes lit up slightly. "Well, doesn't that mean the Team Rocket threat is all but abolished? I mean, you've basically hit their headquarters.. you've cut off the head. Once you find him, it's all over.. and you already have all the information you need on all their other bases. Isn't this the beginning of the end for Team Rocket, at least in Kanto?"

"That's the hope...but we just don't know...Yes we know where some of the other bases are, and it's possible that all of the bases may have been listed...but there is one problem...Team Rocket didn't do what they did by keeping in hiding. They did it by achieving places of power that allowed them access to things they otherwise wouldn't have had. We've taken out the expanse of Team Rocket, but that doesn't tell us how deeply Team Rocket has infiltrated the system...Team Rocket probably has grunts in all kinds of places. I'll even bet that some of the scientists on Cinnabar are Team Rocket Grunts...but we have no proof..."

Kiai nodded. "Still a damaging blow, then. First Giovanni, now this. They're as tenacious as cockroaches, but they'll be hard put to recover from this assault." He lowered his voice and leaned a bit toward Amy, so that only she would hear. "I take it there are a few people interested in hearing our story of the events..?"

Amy nodded. "You and Emily are the only two other then Rocket Grunts who have seen the Team Rocket Five themselves. They're waiting for you to recover enough to explain about the events, and to tell us what they looked like. If we could find out what they looked like, what their names were, and so on, we could probably find them and end this once and for all." The moment Amy finished speaking, her pokegear began to ring and she gave a grown. She looked down and moved to push the ignore when she noticed the number that appeared. "Professor Oak?" she asked and pushed the receive button. "Hello?"

"Amy, is that you?" Oak's voice asked.

"Yeah, what's up? You're not calling because I'm ignoring the Association calls, are you?"

"No, actually, I agree with your leaving the battle to be with your family. My call is actually for something else."

"What is it?"

"It's about that Ultra Ball of yours. I've been running some tests on the creature inside."

"You didn't let it out, did you?" Amy almost shouted.

"No! No, of course not. I have a machine that can run tests on Pokemon without opening the balls."

Amy gave a sigh of relief. "That's good...so, what did you find then?"

"The creature inside of the Ultra Ball is definitely a Pokemon. I know you had your doubts, but it has all of the traits of any other Pokemon."

"Then...what is it? Why is it so powerful?"

"I still don't know that...but here's the thing I do know...It has no weaknesses...in fact...I almost want to say that this Pokemon is every single type...all at once..." Kiai looked carefully at Amy and Oak, listening intently to the conversation and drowning out the clamor around him. He immediately began to consider the ramifications of something so powerful, and wondered how this would change things in the world of pokemon.

"But...how is something like that even possible?"

"I don't know...there's still a lot we don't know about Pokemon, Amy...we've encountered Pokemon with multiple types before...or even that can change types..."

"But it's not just normal multiple types or changing types, Professor...you just said this thing is every type at once...even Pokemon that can change type can't be every type at once, and the most types found in a single Pokemon is two."

"I know...that's what worries me..." Oak sighed. "In either case, until we figure out what it is and how it works, we'll need to keep it in the Ultra Ball...It shows signs of great rage, and the Ultra Ball seems incapable of combating that. I also ran a check on its signature, and it doesn't have one..."

"Doesn't have one? What does that mean?"

"When a Pokemon is captured in a Pokeball, the Pokeball implants a signature into that Pokemon. That signature is what is used to return the Pokemon to the ball, as well as keep it under your command. It's how you can fight a Pokemon, defeat it, then turn around and use it right away without having to teach it to obey you. Your Ultra Ball shows it ran the Signature Implantation Process, but the Pokemon inside still has no signature. If it was released, it couldn't be returned, and it surely wouldn't obey you."

Kiai didn't understand the mechanics of what he just heard, but he knew that it meant that the pokemon inside wasn't an average beast. He whispered to Amy, "That must mean it has some sort of above average intelligence… it must be in a completely different class, and I doubt pokeball technology would be fooled by Team Rocket technology…"

Amy nodded to Kiai. "Yeah...there's no way this is a Team Rocket thing...but if this thing is natural...then how does it even exist? There have been studies done into whether Pokemon could be more then two types, and all have proven negative...and yet this one is everything? I just don't understand it...and it fought with such passion and rage...I wasn't joking when I said it literally tore my Pokemon apart...Once my Pokemon were knocked out, it would grow these claws that it then used to dig into my Pokemon and rip them apart..." Amy's face turned green at the thought of it, and she even pulled her hand to her mouth to prevent herself from throwing up.

"I've ran tests on that as well," Oak's voice spoke and Amy looked down at her pokegear. "When I say this, understand that I believe everything you told me...but according to my research...there's absolutely no way this thing could have done that...I have a theory on that one, though...it's possible it may be a passive skill of this creature that I can't detect...I may need to move this Ultra Ball to a bigger lab..."

Kiai immediately put two and two together. "Professor," he spoke, hastily, and completely ignoring decent manners when someone is on the phone, "whatever you do, don't move that pokeball to a bigger lab. Keep it in yours. Whatever it is, it should be trusted with no one but you. If nothing else, find a way to have it transferred to a Master Ball, if the Ultra Ball can't hold it." He caught himself after his outburst, and continued, sheepishly glancing up at Amy, "Sorry.. I just think this would be best left to the most able-bodied pokemon researcher.. something like this should be taken with the utmost caution, and the less publicity this gets, the better.. for everyone.."

"I agree, Kiai," Oak spoke. "I have no interest in giving it to anyone else. I gave my word I'd protect it, and I will. However, if we are going to figure out what this thing is, or at least learn of a way to combat it again if it gets released, we'll need to learn more about it. I will need better equipment. In this case, I might have to take it with me to another lab and run tests on it there, but I would be sure I run the tests myself. I would not trust anyone else with it." Oak sighed. "As for the Master Ball idea...they were produced to order from Silph Co...With Silph Co currently disposed of, I will not be able to get another for some time. However, once Silph Co gets back up and running, it shouldn't be a problem."

"What about Devon Corp?" Amy asked.

"That's a good idea, actually. I didn't think about that. Devon Corp might be able to manufacture one for me...though I'll have to pay the import fees...Still, a small price to pay to make sure this Pokemon is kept more secure. Let's just hope there aren't more of these..."

"If there's one, there might be more," spoke Kiai, again relieving himself of politeness, "so we should figure out what's going on with it. I sure hope this isn't some sort of elite, advanced pokemon that's going to harbor ill will against humans for this sort of thing… if it is, there may be no stopping it other than giving it a taste of it's own medicine… assuming that's even possible."

"That's what worries me, too..." Amy spoke.

"Amy...I have a question...where was it you found this thing?" Oak asked.

"Where?" Amy looked up, putting her hand to her chin a moment. "Let me think...it was..." she thought for a moment before the memory returned to her. "It was at Mt. Silver..."

"Mt. Silver? Strange...It's true Mt. Silver is known for having strong Pokemon due to the harsh environment...but for something like this to exist there?" Oak went silent for a moment. "Amy...I may have to ask you to go back there...There may be a clue to what this thing is at Mt. Silver...but I know it will be dangerous, especially if this creature is a normal inhabitant of that place."

"I understand, Professor. Don't worry, I can handle it."

"All right, thank you, Amy. Just...don't leave yet. Stay with Emily until she's ready to get up and moving again. I'll talk to the Association and see what I can do to calm them down."

"Thank you, Professor."

"I've got to go now, take care, Amy, and you, too, Kiai."

"Bye, Professor."

"Bye Professor!" Kiai managed to sneak in before hearing the familiar click, and the pokegear flashing that the call had ended. Kiai looked up at Amy. He could see in her eyes that she had absolutely no desire to return to that place, so he spoke softly, "Emily and I will go with you, if that's what it takes.. but I'm sure you could get Ash or Misty to help… either way, don't go alone this time, ok?"

Amy sighed and nodded. "You two aren't strong enough, but yeah, I'll definitely see what I can do about taking someone else with me. I'm certain either Ash or Misty would be willing to help." With those words, the door opened and Ash stepped inside. Next to him was a beautiful woman with orangish-red hair that ended at the end of her neck. She was dressed in a darker pink spaghetti strap shirt along with a pair of short yellow shorts. A short-sleeved, white jacket was overtop of her shirt, and a red bag was around her waist while her feet were covered with a pair of sandals. "Speak of the devil, here's Ash and Misty now."

Ash and Misty both waved at Amy. "Hey there."

Kiai smiled at both of them. "Your faces have a persistent habit of being good to see."

Ash smiled, and Misty spoke up, "We heard about what happened. I never expected to meet someone as hard-headed as Ash. I can't believe you led an army into Team Rocket headquarters! Every trainer in Saffron is talking about you as if you were some sort of divine legend. I'm just glad you and Sabrina are alive."

Kiai interrupted her, "How is Sabrina? Is she ok?"

Misty, Ash and Amy all exchanged glances. Ash replied, "Nurse Joy has done what she can, and Sabrina seems to be ok, but she's still showing signs of alterations. This is a curveball. We never knew Team Rocket was conducting these sorts of experiments, nor that they had progressed so far. Last I heard, Nurse Joy was going to contact other regions to see if they had heard anything, and she has submitted a request for a formal scientific inquiry to the Pokemon Association." Kiai nodded, knowing that if Professor Oak was on the case, Sabrina and maybe even Emily would be cured some day.

"I've got tons of other questions," Kiai spoke, "especially about what happened after the fight. I know you all will have a lot of questions to ask Emily and myself as well."

Ash nodded solomnly at him, and spoke, "Yes, not just us, but Officer Jenny as well. I don't know how much you know, but we questioned some of their operatives and found out what they were doing. We will need to know everything you do. This was a very, very serious event. We're still not even sure what prompted them to go this far."

Misty nodded to Ash's statement, but Kiai hung his head and lowered his eyes. "I do.." he spoke, "Giovanni attacked Emily and I when we were passing through Mt Moon.. there was a cave-in… he died."

"Giovanni died and that caused all of this?" Ash asked and Misty and him exchanged glances. "Then my suspicions were partly correct...Tell me, Kiai, have you ever heard of a Pokemon called Mewtwo?"

Kiai furrowed his brow as he attempted to recall, but he ultimately shook his head. "No, I don't know of any pokemon by that name, or anything like it. Why do you ask?"

"A few years back, in my journey in Johto, we came upon a mountain. I forget the name of it now, but we were passing through the area when Team Rocket grabbed Pikachu and tried to escape. They were blown into the mountain by a harsh wind that is normal in that area. We made a journey up the mountain to save Pikachu and there we met a Pokemon called Mewtwo. It was a Pokemon that was created by one of Team Rocket's scientists. He had obtained a Mew fossil and used it to create Mewtwo, a more powerful version of Mew. However, it escaped and hid in the Johto region. Giovanni discovered Mewtwo was there and tried to come after it. With the help of me, Misty, Brock, and a couple others on our journey, we rescued Mewtwo. Giovanni led the attack, though, and at first I assumed he was one of the Team Rocket Five, but without proof, there was nothing I could do. However, if what you're saying is true, then he was actually the head of Team Rocket itself...If he really is dead, then it makes sense that Team Rocket would try a final ditch effort to complete their leader's work..."

Kiai nodded. "That makes sense. I could tell that this was out of the ordinary, especially for Team Rocket. They're usually like cockroaches, scurrying away at the first sign of light, but always manipulating and growing in the darkness. To come out on such public terms means they must have had some incredible motivation to do so. I guess it was a typical ending for something so hasty and ill-planned. It was it's own undoing."

Amy spoke up, "Yes, Giovanni was a brilliant leader, even if the Pokemon Association would have my badges if I said that publicly. He's the reason Team Rocket was successful. He was really the brains behind everything."

Ash gave Amy a serious look, and spoke, "If the Association can have your badges, they can have mine as well; Giovanni was more knowledgeable and clever than Professor Oak, or anyone else I've ever met. He was a brilliant scientist and trainer. It's a shame he made the choices he did." Ash looked around at Kiai and Misty before continuing, "You won't read about this in the news, but the truth of the matter is, the technology acquired from Team Rocket today is going to greatly further our understanding of pokemon. I've only seen bits and pieces of it, but everything that I recognized in the Silph Co. laboratory was either top of the line or advanced for this day and age."

"And maybe we can even cure the Pokerus now," Amy spoke. "I mean, now that we've gotten Team Rocket's technology, and if anything, I know all of us saw the machine they were using to spread the Pokerus. Silph Co are those who mass produce pretty much all of our everyday Pokemon needs, it's not a wonder they would use Silph Co machines to mass produce the Pokerus, then use their own machines to spread it."

Ash nodded. "Actually, I managed to get a sample of the Pokerus, so I'll be taking it to Professor Oak when we head out."

Amy nodded, then blinked as something caught her eye. "Misty..." she spoke after a second, "...did Ash...propose to you?" Misty immediately turned a deep shade of crimson. Kiai turned to notice a rather impressive ring on Misty's finger with an even more impressive diamond on it.

Kiai glanced at Ash and grinned, "Well, it's about time! I'm surprised you didn't buy her a bike instead!" He waited until the laughter died down before he offered both Ash and Misty his sincere congratulations, which they both accepted, though Misty's cheeks were still accentuating her hair.

"Well, the sorting of Pokemon is still going on, but we've done about as much as we can do here," Ash spoke as he looked around. "Before we go, though," he turned to Kiai. "Hey, Kiai, you and Emily think you'll be up and ready in a week?"

Kiai tilted his head. "Up and ready? I don't think we were ever planning on staying here even a few days, let alone a week... though I wouldn't be surprised if we have to, given the state of things. Why do you ask? What's happening in a week?"

"Well, I know Amy told you about Sinnoh Con in Celadon. I was just curious if you two thought you'd be able to get there. A friend of mine is hosting it this year, and Misty and I were planning to attend. If you're still here in a week, and Nurse Joy says you're good to go, want me to stop by and pick you up so you can get there on time?"

Kiai's eyes lit up. "Oh! Well… hm. I can't say how long the red tape will last, given that this event was essentially an attempt to conquer the world, and Emily and I pretty much had first-hand experience in preventing it… but I think we'll make Celadon our next location to visit regardless. We'll need a vacation after all of this anyway, before we start again on the gyms. We may not need a ride there, but we'll certainly meet up with you. We'll keep in touch, and contact you on Emily's pokegear when we get there. Also, that reminds me; you can fly around on your Pidgeot.. is that a move it learned naturally, or is that something you had to teach it? I heard of trainers riding on their Flying-types often, and I wanted a Flying-type for myself specifically for that, but I'm at a loss as to how to teach it." Ash nodded. "Funny you should ask that. The move can be learned from a Hidden Machine, which Silph Co. has been known to manufacture. They're rare, and with Silph Co. being put out of business for the moment they'll be even rarer..." Ash glanced at Amy as if to say something, and he spoke out loud, ".. but I'll see what I can do for you. Just leave it to me."

"Speaking of Hidden Machines..." Amy began, "it's probably a bit early to give you this, but you'll need it for getting to Cinnabar Island anyway." She pulled out a small CD case from her pack and opened it up. "This is what a Hidden Machine looks like." She held out a small CD. "I'll give you this, it's the move Surf. Also, you'll need this." She produced a small cylinder-like object from her pack. She pushed a button, which opened a small door in which she stuck the CD into. It closed, causing two small cords with suction cups on the ends to extend out of it. "This is needed to actually teach the moves to your Pokemon. You stick these cords on their forehead, then press the button and it'll read the data off the Hidden Machine and then send it to your Pokemon. After that, you'll have to practice the move a little, but your Pokemon will get the hang of using it properly, which will then allow you to use it." She handed the object to Kiai. "Consider it a gift."

Kiai looked it over as he held it. "Thank you.." he spoke. "I think I'll give this to Emily. She has a Lapras, and I'm sure that she'll be more than eager to teach it Surf."

"Lapras, huh?" said Ash, "That takes me back." He exchanged a smile with Misty.

"Well, we should get going," Misty spoke then turned to Kiai. "You and Emily take care. I hope everything works out so you can go to Sinnoh Con. We'll see you there if you manage to make it." Misty and Ash waved before turning and heading out.

Amy waved as they left, then sat back. "This week is going to be quite eventful for you two it seems. Hopefully you'll be out of here in a couple of days. Neither of you got too severely injured. Of course, the media will be all over you...might be hard to get anywhere without them on top of you every second for the next week or so..."

Kiai grinned at Amy. "We got in here under Team Rocket's nose. I'm pretty sure we can avoid a few nosy cameramen."

Amy forced a half-hearted chuckle. "Take it from me, kid… I've been down both of those roads, and the media is far, far more tenacious than Team Rocket." Kiai raised a wary eyebrow at her, and when he realized she was telling the truth, he gulped and twitched nervously.

Emily groaned a little and Amy looked over to the curtain. "Sounds like Emi's waking up, you should head back over to her. She'll probably be hoping the first thing her eyes see when she wakes up is you." She turned away from him for a moment and sighed. "Kiai...I'm sorry...for what I've said...I know you've just been looking out for Emily, and I'm sure you've done all you can to dissuade her from going into the really dangerous parts of your adventure. She's a stubborn one, so I'm sure she just isn't willing to let you go alone...She's a beautiful and wonderful woman...I really hope she understands that, and understands that you're the best thing that has ever happened to her." She wrapped her arms around Kiai and pulled him close. "Thank you for being there for her."

Kiai flushed as he melted into Amy's embrace. He was too stunned to even hug her back. When she released him, he managed to utter a very quiet "Happy to be of service.." before he heard the shuffling of sheets behind him. He walked toward the curtain and slipped behind it, then stood by Emily's bed as she came out of her slumber. He looked down at her and smiled as he waited for her eyes to open. When they did, she smiled up at him, and he leaned down to lay a soft kiss on her lips.

"Feeling better, are you?" Emily asked with a smile.

Kiai grinned his usual playfully sarcastic grin. "No, not in the slightest." He couldn't stop himself from laughing at his own joke, doubling over as he tried to stifle his humor, all the while his own joke was striking back at him, as his sore muscles made his stomach and shoulders ache.

Emily laughed as well, making her body ache as well from the laughter. It took a few moments for them to stop and relax, but when they did, Emily looked back at Kiai with a smile. "So, what are we doing after we get out of here?"

"Ash invited us to the Sinnoh Con. It's going to be in one week. After we rest up a bit here, we're going to head over there. Ash offered to give us a lift, but, I miss sleeping out under the stars with you, so we're going to hoof it and meet him there. And that reminds me.." Kiai fished into his pockets and retrieved a small disk. "Amy gave me this to give to you. It's the HM to teach a pokemon Surf." He held out the small disk to Emily.

"The HM Surf, huh? That'll probably come in handy." Emily took the disk, then grabbed her pack from the ground and placed it inside. She then rolled onto her back with a bit of a strain and looked up at the ceiling. "So, Sinnoh Con is a week, huh? That should be fun. I've heard there's a lot of new Pokemon in Sinnoh. I wonder how many of them they'll be showing off there." She pulled out her pokedex and flipped it open. "I wonder if the Pokedex has anything on Sinnoh Pokemon." She began pushing buttons to see what would happen.

Kiai glanced at her pokedex where, as if to answer her question, an image flashed on the screen: "Update Available." Eagerly, Emily accepted the update, and a progress bar appeared. Kiai pulled his out and updated it as well. Emily's finished first, they both huddled around the tiny screen in her palm as it displayed a directory for over one hundred newly discovered pokemon.

"Wow..." Emily spoke as she looked over the names of some of the new Pokemon in her Pokedex. She pushed a button, allowing one of the names to load into the normal image of the Pokemon.

"Leafeon, the Verdant Pokemon and one of the many evolutions of Eevee," the Pokedex spoke. "It rarely likes to fight, and just like a plant, it uses photosynthesis to produce clear air all around it."

Emily blinked. "Another Eeveelution?" She pushed another button.

"Glaceon, the Fresh Snow Pokemon and one of the many evolutions of Eevee, as a protective technique, it can completely freeze its fur to make its hairs stand like needles."

"Wow.. that sure is a flexible pokemon." spoke Kiai. When silence followed his statement, he turned his gaze from Emily's pokedex to Emily. She was staring intently at the screen. He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "I haven't seen that face since we first saw that Staryu in the river. Something tells me you're becoming very interested in these Eeveelutions."

Emily quickly turned red and looked up at Kiai. "A...a little...I mean...Eevee's an amazing Pokemon...so far, it looks like it has seven evolutions..." She pushed a button on her pokedex. "Look at this. Eevee is a Normal-type, but it can evolve into either a Fire, Water, Grass, Ice, Electric, Psychic, or Dark-type depending on the different circumstances of it's evolution...Eevee itself can make a fairly well rounded team." She blushed even deeper. "And they're all so cute, too."

Kiai smiled, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You're cute too." he spoke. He turned back to her pokedex and studied the information a bit more. "Maybe you can pick up an Eevee at this Sinnoh Con? There are lots of buying and trading of pokemon at these conventions."

Emily blushed an even deeper red from Kiai's words. "M-maybe, though...if it's a Sinnoh Con...maybe I can get either Leafeon or Glaceon, as their Sinnoh evolutions." She brought up Leafeon's page once more. "Leafeon can only be obtained by evolving Eevee around Moss Rock in Sinnoh," she pushed a button, switching to Glaceon's page, "and Glaceon can only be obtained by evolving Eevee around Route 217, also in Sinnoh."

"Hmm.. that does limit your options, unless you get either a Leafeon or Glaceon straight out.." He paused for a moment as he thought, then he turned to her. "Hey! What if you just get an Eevee? We can head to Sinnoh later and you can evolve it into whatever you want. Until then, you can just train the Eevee and get familiar with it."

Emily looked up at Kiai and smiled. "Maybe, but I doubt you'll want to leave for Sinnoh until we get done with the Kanto league anyway. So it'll be a while." She turned back to her pokedex and loaded up Espeon's page. "I remember fighting this when Mana used it back on Route 12. I think...when Eevee evolved into Umbreon...that's when I started getting fascinated with Eevee. Then after battling Espeon...it just kind of grew..." The page switched to Jolteon now. "All of Eevee's evolutions are amazing...I wonder if anyone has all eight of Eevee's forms."

"I'm sure someone does. They seem like a popular collectors item, especially if they're cute." He idly stroked Emily's hair as she continued to read up on all of Eevee's forms. After a while, he spoke, "It makes me wonder.. if a Normal type can obtain all these characteristics.. what if an Eevee was exposed to all of them at once..? Would it evolve into a type which encompasses every characteristic..? That almost sounds like what Professor Oak was-" He stopped himself, wondering if he should tell Emily what he heard between Oak and Amy, but he decided it was ok. "-talking about..."

Emily blinked and looked up at Kiai. "What do you mean? Did you talk to Professor Oak recently?"

Kiai nodded, his jaunty demeanor had suddenly become solemn. "Amy got a call from Oak just a moment ago. It turns out the pokemon she had caught.. the vicious one.. was some brand new type that has never before been seen.. and what made it so powerful was that it could become any type.. it was like it had all the powers of all the elements at its disposal."

Emily's jaw dropped as she stared at Kiai. "You're...joking, right?" Kiai shook his head and she turned back down to her Pokedex, giving it a confused stare. "That's...crazy...I've never heard of a Pokemon like that before...Did Professor Oak explain anything else about it?" She looked back up at Kiai with a curious look.

"Nothing, but he said he couldn't research it further with his laboratories resources. He'll need help. He may even need to transfer it to a Master Ball.. and that will be a difficult process. He asked Amy to go back to where she caught it, to see if she can't find out any more information. Not only that.. it seems as though Team Rocket had nothing to do with it.. it was natural."

"It was natural? That's just crazy...what could cause something like that?" She put her pokedex away, and just as she did, Nurse Joy opened the curtain, causing her and Kiai to look up. Nurse Joy smiled.

"I'm just checking up on you two," Nurse Joy spoke, "Kiai, if you could lay back in your bed, I can run some tests, though you seem to be doing pretty well to be up and about like you are."

Emily smiled. "Yeah, we're both feeling much better now."

"Regardless, I'd like to check up on you. It's possible we could have you out of here by tomorrow at this rate. Of course, you'll still be stuck in Saffron until the media is done with you...which I apologize for, but Officer Jenny refuses to let you leave until she gets some kind of information from you, and I'm sure the media will be all over you. They're huddled around the door to the hospital already..." She shook her head and sighed. "They're like dogs waiting for their prey..."

Kiai nodded and walked back to his bed, hopping up into it and laying down on it. His mind was trying to cope with the idea of becoming literally an overnight celebrity. Joy busied herself around them, taking numerous scans and inspecting their bodies. A few of the tests seemed somewhat out of the ordinary, and when Kiai questioned Joy about them, she forced a somewhat pained response. "We have… a separate sequence when dealing with Team Rocket… they do lots of experiments that are outside of the norm, you see… so we check for things that are outside of the norm…" Her sad voice sparked curiosity in Kiai, but he only thought for a moment before he realized why.

"And how is Sabrina?" Kiai asked softly.

Joy did not look at him, and after a while, said simply, "Alive." Kiai stopped asking her questions.

A few more minutes passed before Nurse Joy finished her exams and set her glasses on her desk. "Looks like you two are in good health. Some pulled muscles, a couple bruised bones, but otherwise, you're in healthy condition. I do want to keep you overnight, but I see no reason why you won't be free to go tomorrow."

Kiai nodded. "I think we may stay for another day or two after that, out of necessity... this to-do is not going to go away quickly, unfortunately." All of a sudden, an thought popped into Kiai's head. "Speaking of time, what time is it?"

Kiai looked around for a clock before Joy spoke, "It's five-thirty in the afternoon, and it's the day after the night that you arrived. You've slept nearly all day, but I can understand why." Kiai heaved a relieved sigh.

Emily looked over at Kiai. "Why did you need to know? You have something planned other then Sinnoh Con in a week?"

Kiai shook his head. "No, I would just feel really icky if I was asleep for too long of a time… it's something that sort of gives me the gibblies." Just as he finished speaking, the commanding sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor tiles was heard approaching the door.

"Speaking of the gibblies.." murmured Joy, just a moment before there was an equally commanding knock. Joy got up and smoothed out her dress, walked to the door and opened it a crack.

Before Nurse Joy could say anything, the yet equally commanding voice of Officer Jenny spoke, "I must reiterate that I must speak with your patients as soon as possible." Nurse Joy looked over her shoulder at Kiai and Emily, then sighed softly to herself.

"Very well, but please, don't tax them too much." She opened the door, and in walked a very tired-looking and harassed Officer Jenny.

"Hello, Officer Jenny," Emily spoke, giving a salute.

"You are Kiai and Emily?" Jenny asked and they nodded. "I have some questions for you about the occurrences here in Saffron."

"We understand."

"First thing's first, what all happened while you were here in Saffron? I need to know everything with as much detail as possible." Emily nodded and looked to Kiai. The two then spent some time explaining what had occurred in the city, what they had done, and how the battle against the Team Rocket Five occurred. "I see...so, you say their leader was this...Alfonzo Elenoi guy and that he was running experiments to convert humans into Pokemon as well as enhance the powers of Pokemon using micro chips and the Pokerus? And the four you fought beforehand really were part of the Team Rocket Five?"

Kiai nodded. "That's what they said, at least."

"And what prompted you to break into the city in the first place?"

Kiai blushed, and replied, "Curiosity, really..."

Jenny gave him a disapproving stare, but continued, "What else did you see in Silph Company? What sort of devices were there? What did Team Rocket say about their business?"

Emily spoke, "We didn't see anything. Kiai decided to attack Alfonzo directly, and everyone else went down into the lab." Kiai nodded, adding, "I knew they would attack the kids, and I wanted to head them off. We didn't go near the lab at all. Alls we know about their experiments were what we saw firsthand with Sabrina."

Jenny wrote all of this down in a small notebook she was carrying, occasionally brushing her disheveled hair out of her eyes. She was quite for a moment as she looked over her notes. "Now.." she spoke, looking up at both of them, "if the Team Rocket Five were in command, what happened to Giovanni?"

"Giovanni...he..." Emily looked away. "We were at Mt. Moon and he attacked us with Team Rocket's forces...we were kidnapped and thrown into a pit...but then, we managed to escape with the help of a Mew..."

"A Mew?" Officer Jenny asked and Emily nodded.

"I know it's hard to believe...but the Mew saved us...it attacked Giovanni, then broke us out of the mountain...but it caused Mt. Moon to collapse...Giovanni was trapped inside...now he's dead and Team Rocket, discovering this, tried one final ditch effort to complete their leader's work..."

A manic gleam grew in Jenny's eyes. Her disheveled appearance added to make her appear as if she was dancing on the fine line which serves as the last bastion before insanity. "I knew it… I knew it! The sudden disappearance from Viridian, the constant visits to Silph Company, and then he just vanishes altogether and Team Rocket does this… it all makes sense now!" Kiai and Emily looked at each other with a worried look, and Nurse Joy looked on at Jenny with great concern.

Before Joy could say anything, Jenny smiled and spoke to them, "I need to go publish this report..." She ran a frantic hand through her hair. "This is going to change everything we ever knew about Team Rocket.. you have no idea what this does..." She fell back against the wall and rubbed her face with her gloved hand. She took a moment to compose herself, then spoke, "You kids are heros. Plain and simple." She smiled warmly and calmly, then stood up straight before them, clicked her heels, and gave them a sharp salute. Both Emily and Kiai blushed, and saluted her back. Lowering her salute, she promptly left the room and briskly walked out of the Pokemon Center.

"Well, that went better then was expected..." Emily spoke, staring in the direction that Officer Jenny had left.

Nurse Joy watched her leave, then spoke in a small voice, "I shall have to check up on her tonight…"

Amy walked over to Joy and put her hand on her shoulder. "Leave that to me, Joy," she spoke. "You should get some rest tonight. When things quiet down, I'll head over and help Jenny with her work so she can rest. I promise." Joy turned toward Amy and smiled thankfully. Suddenly something caught Amy's eye, and she looked out the door. Gasping, she slammed it shut and threw her back against it.

Kiai was immediately filled with concern. "What?! What is it?!"

Emily spoke after him, "Is it Team Rocket?"

"Worse," spoke Amy, "It's the paparazzi."

"Ack! How did the media get in here already?" Emily nearly shouted and covered herself with the sheets. "I don't want to deal with them yet!" she whined.

Amy spoke as several voices began to gather outside the door. "What do you mean 'here already'? They were camped outside of Saffron the moment entry was denied. As soon as they learned that a pokemon trainer took down Team Rocket, they moved their camp to the Pokemon Center. They were here before I was, and Oak contacted me the second Ash contacted him! Listen, there's no stopping them, so the only thing I can tell you is, keep your answers brief, vague, and smile a lot."

Emily pulled the sheets off and nodded. "A-all right..." She grabbed Kiai and pulled him close as she prepared for the onslaught that would be the reporters.

* * *

Looking back, the only thing Kiai could remember was a lot of bright flashes and curious faces. He was very glad that Amy and Nurse Joy never left their side. He shook a lot of hands and even signed an autograph, which took him by so much surprise that he had to pause to remember his name. He was also glad that, no more than five minutes in, the fact that he hadn't eaten all day caught up with him, and he was more focused on his empty stomach than answering questions. A few times, Amy kindly spoke up to make sure they weren't giving away any more information than need be.

The whole ordeal lasted about an hour and a half, by which time the noise and commotion attracted quite an audience, many of whom were the pokemon trainers who assisted in the raid the previous night. By the time the media had gotten their fill of information and pictures, a small crowd of children and trainers pushed their way inside to hear the story for themselves, but Nurse Joy ushered them out, assuring them that they would read all about it in the news. When the door was finally shut, Emily flopped into her bed and Kiai rubbed his eyes. There was silence for a moment, then Kiai and Emily both spoke at the same time, "I'm hungry."

Amy giggled a little at Kiai and Emily before standing herself up straight. "Not bad, for your first time dealing with the media, you did pretty well."

"We wouldn't have if you hadn't helped, Amy," Emily responded and Amy rubbed the back of her neck, blushing a little.

"Well, either way, you did fine." Amy smiled and turned to Nurse Joy. "Well, these two need to be fed, and I actually need to be on my way back to Indigo...I'm sure the Pokemon Association has some choice words for me, and I'd rather not put it off any longer…" She then sighed. "But first I need to check on Officer Jenny... and I should let Ash know..." She sighed again, then cast a knowing look at Kiai. He returned her look with as much sympathy he could muster. Amy then turned toward Emily and hugged her tight. "I love you, little sis. You made me very proud of you today." Emily returned her embrace, then Amy walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

After only a moment, a Chansey entered the room baring food as it was finally able to get through the door since it was now cleared of press, trainers, and anyone else who had entered during the media's time there. Emily and Kiai ate happily as they conversed about their plans and it was decided their next destination would be Celadon for the Sinnoh Con. The night then came and the two rested the night away.

About midday the next day they were discharged from the hospital, and they decided to head out on their adventure, though they were stopped multiple times by the media who pressed them with questions which they did their best to avoid. They finally made their way out of Saffron and onto Route 7 not long after. The two turned for a final glance at Saffron as they headed out, knowing this adventure was now over, and a whole new adventure was about to begin.

**End of Book 2**

* * *

So, what did you think of Book 2? Did you enjoy it? Hate it? Review please before moving on to Book 3! Also, I hope you all enjoy Book 3, a lot is going to change in the World of Pokemon, and a lot more is going to be revealed.


	22. The Dragon's Legend

**Book 3**

**Chapter 22: The Dragon's Legend**

A golden sun sat on the horizon of the western sky. It's beautiful glow radiated the sky with a rainbow of golds and reds, showing the splendor of sunset. There under the sky, two travelers were making their way through the grassy path that was Route 7, which made the normal path most travelers took between the rather large city of Saffron, and the smaller city of Celadon. One was a beautiful girl who had her brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her outfit consisted of a simple yellow halter top with black trimming, along with a dark brown miniskirt with a pair of sneakers. A small golden locket was around her neck, and a silver bracelet was around her arm. The bracelet was a new addition to her outfit, and was bought only a few hours before by the boy next to her.

Walking beside the girl was a tall, lean boy with long black unkempt hair tied back in a hacked-together pony tail. In dire contrast to the cute girl beside him, his face was rather plain, and his clothes were even plainer: he wore a simple white t-shirt and khaki shorts, and was barefoot, a pair of sandals dangling from the ramshackle backpack mounted on his shoulders. His eyes were the only thing about him that stood out; deep-set, dark brown eyes that were keen to analyze his surroundings at all times. Attached to his belt were six pokeballs, each one with number on the front and a peace-sign sticker stuck to it. A warm wind blew up from the south, and he turned to look at the city of Saffron behind him. The golden sun reflected off of the windows of the last few buildings tall enough to see from this distance. He smiled, then turned toward the sun, letting his last adventure end where it started, for he knew another one was just up ahead.

"We're finally out of Saffron," the girl spoke and gave a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I thought those reporters would never leave us alone...you'd think they would have had their fill at least after the third time they jumped on us and we had to tell them that there was really nothing else we could say..." She sighed. "My sister was right...the press is a pain...and I even have to agree that they're more pushy and even more of a pain then Team Rocket was...and they were a hell of a pain in the ass..."

"You said it, Emily" replied the boy, rotating his shoulder and banging his fist into his muscles to loosen them. "By now, everyone on the Internet knows who we are and what we've done. I know it was just a random chance, but after all, it's a blessing that we're taking the dirt road to Celadon.. it should give us at least two or three days for this whole thing to die down." Emily nodded her agreement, then Kiai spoke as an aside, "It's going to feel really weird reading about us in the newspapers..."

Emily laughed. "Yeah, that'll be really strange. I mean...yeah, I figured I'd end up in the papers one day...I mean, the papers generally publish the winners of the leagues and such...but this is really a big thing. I mean...it's front page material for certain..." She cringed. "Although...my pictures probably going to be all over the place now...and they took it when we were still in the hospital..." Her head and arms drooped. "I looked terrible...and now I'm going to have that look permanently plastered everywhere..."

Kiai reached up and playfully ruffled Emily's hair. "Relax, kid, I'm sure you looked beautiful." He smiled warmly at her, and she returned his smile. They continued walking for a few moments before Kiai added as a parting shot, "Besides, wearing those skimpy clothes, I bet every pokemon trainer from here to Johto is jacking off to you."

SMACK! Kiai was on the ground, struck by a rather blunt object that had somehow materialized in Emily's hand. A vein throbbed in her head as she growled. "I really didn't need that image, thank you."

A few minutes later they were walking along again, however this time Kiai was sporting a large bump on the back of his head. The sun was starting to get low when Kiai suddenly grabbed Emily's hand. He pulled her off the path and up a nearby grassy knoll, just large enough to see over the grasslands before them. Kiai unrolled his sleeping bag and sat down on it, inviting Emily to sit down next to him, which she did, right next to Kiai. Alone together, with no one to bother them, they sat and watched the sun set. With the last ray of light, Kiai put his arm around Emily's shoulders and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

Emily kissed Kiai gently on the cheek as well, then wrapped her arms around him as she snuggled against him. "I'm glad everything is finally over...we finally get a rest...unless, you know, a trainer suddenly pops up or something...but even then, that wouldn't be so bad...It's not like it would be a fight for our life again."

Kiai chuckled softly and snuggled back against Emily. "I know.. random encounters are cake compared to dungeon crawling." As the light faded from the sky, Kiai shook off the warmth of Emily's body and came back to his senses. "We're going to need to build a fire, and we haven't eaten since lunch." He sighed. "You know, it's only been three days since we last camped out, but after all that's happened, it feels like a year."

Emily nodded. "I know what you mean...it feels like it's been forever since it's been just me and you adventuring..." She slowly stood to her feet and patted down her outfit. "Well, if we're going to build a fire and get some food, then we'll need some wood." She stretched a little and looked around.

The rolling plains stretched out before them had several shrubs and patches of trees hither and thither, yet in the dim light of the setting sun there seemed to be little scrap wood to be found in the area. "Looks like a fire will be the difficult part.. clear out an area, I'll go take a look." spoke Kiai, as he fished into his pockets and pulled out his flashlight. Emily nodded and began to clear out a small area for their fire.

Kiai's form could be seen walking amongst the nearby clumps of trees, his flashlight darting about. As the sun sank low into the sky and the black velvet night blanketed the earth, Kiai's form dissolved completely, and only the ray of light from his palm could be seen in the din. Several minutes passed, during which Emily unrolled their bedrolls onto the soft grass of the high knoll and watched the flashlight dance in the darkness. It was about an hour before Kiai returned, carrying two large logs, but otherwise a meager pile. He sighed and dropped them down. "Spooky night.. it's too damn quiet.. I hope this pile lasts the night, I'd hate to go search for more.."

Emily nodded. "It does seem a bit quiet..." She brought her hands up and rubbed her bare arms. Kiai set the wood down and worked to form a fire. Kiai then sat down next to her and she turned out to the darkness, her eyes scanning the area. "You know...it kind of feels like someone could jump out at you any moment..." No sooner had her words left her mouth then did a woman come walking out of the darkness towards them.

The woman was dressed in a simple khaki, button up, short-sleeved shirt, along with a pair of fairly short khaki shorts of the same color. A circular hat was on her head that was also khaki in color and her bright red hair was let down to her waist. A pair of narrow glasses was on her face, and her eyes showed a gleam of wickedness while a wicked grin was on her face. "So, we have travelers here, huh?" the woman asked. "Tell me, what are you two doing here?"

Kiai finished lighting the match and tossed it into the kindling, making sure the paper caught before standing up and looking at the woman. He scrutinized her carefully, but noticing her piercing, evaluating gaze, he kept his own eyes soft and curious. Given his silence, Emily spoke up, "We're trainers... we're heading to the Sinnoh Con in Celadon."

"We stopped here for the night." finished Kiai.

The woman smiled with some satisfaction, though her eyes continued to dart between them. She glanced at Kiai's belt, then spoke, "What do you know of dragons?"

Kiai and Emily glanced at each other, both somewhat taken aback by the odd question. Emily spoke, "Well, my sister has a Dragonite…"

Kiai again finished with, "Like King Arthur? They breath fire.. but they don't really exist.."

"Oh ho ho! Is that so? What if I were to tell you there's a dragon right here, in this area?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"There is a cave not far from here. To the south, legend tells of an ancient dragon who lives there. He comes out on occasion for food, but otherwise is never seen. Not only that, but it has been there for thousands of years!"

"Thousands of years? That's impossible," Kiai spoke. "Nothing could live that long."

"Oh ho ho! That's what you think, and that's why I'm here! I'm here to prove that the dragon of the legends is real!"

Kiai raised an eyebrow, and stammered a bit, somewhat at loss for words. He then lowered his eyebrow, and tried raising the other one, but to no avail. Finally he gave up and sat down, and prodded a few twigs into the burning kindling. "We're just about to eat, care to join us?" he spoke.

"No, I must continue my search for the dragon. I know it's there, I just have to prove it." At the end of her statement, her stomach growled quite loudly and she quickly covered her stomach and blushed. "Err...well...I mean...I...guess I could take a break..." Her stomach growled rather loudly again.

Kiai raised his eyebrow again. "Perhaps you'd best spend the night.." he spoke.

The girl plopped down and made herself comfortable, as if she had been travelling with Kiai and Emily since Pallet Town. "So, trainers, eh?" she spoke. Kiai and Emily both nodded. "Have any interesting adventures lately?"

Kiai and Emily both spoke a vehement and robust "No." Kiai then spoke up, turning to the girl, "I don't believe we've gotten your name, or anything about you."

The girl seemed to simply not notice this bit of rudeness, and proceeded to answer his question. "My name is Brianna," she spoke, "And I live in a village to the west of here." She smiled in an awkward cordial fashion, and began sifting through her pack, eventually pulling out a can of stew. She punched a hole in the top with a can opener on her keychain, then placed it next to the burning sticks. Emily pulled out some bread and hot dogs for her and Kiai, though as she did, and as Kiai took them, they both couldn't help but stare at the odd woman who had joined them.

"So...this dragon..." Emily spoke after a moment of silence, "what's the story behind it?"

A gleam could be seen in Brianna's eyes as she seemed to cackle like a witch. "You really want to know?" Emily nodded slowly. "Well...a thousand years or so ago, there was a legend of a dragon that lived in this area, living in a cave not far from here. The dragon was powerful, and they say that even grand knights were powerless against it's fire breathing. Hundreds fell trying to fight the beast, and they say that it still exists there today. As of late, travelers have talked about passing a cave nearby and hearing the roaring of a dragon. Some entered and quickly made a run for it because the dragon attacked them with it's fire breath. Due to this, I've come to investigate this manner. I want to see if this really is a dragon. I have my suspicions, though. I think the beast inside is a Dragonite. If so, I plan to catch it."

"A Dragonite? What makes you think that?"

"Those who talk about it say they saw a massive dragon-like creature in the cave, then suddenly it attacked them. Naturally, the only thing that looks much like a real dragon is a Dragonite. So, it must be that. I'll bet it's guarding something, like treasure or something. In either case, a powerful Dragonite who has lived for thousands of years...that would be a great addition to any trainer's team, don't you think? Imagine it as a sort of ultimate power."

Kiai shook his head. "Listen, I don't know what sort of legends go on in this place, but Dragonites only live for about two hundred to three hundred years, and those are only the ones that have been in captivity. Whatever is in that cave, if anything at all, can't be that. It's just not possible. Dragons like that don't exist."

Brianna shoved her pointed finger into Kiai's face, barely missing his nose: "You're a skeptic, just like the rest of them!" Her manic grin grew a bit. "I'll show you just like I'll show the rest of them! Fine, if you don't want to believe, I'll make you believe! The cave is just three hours south of here, we can look for it, all three of us! We'll find the dragon, then you'll see!"

Kiai's eyes drifted over the girls clothes, and he noticed they were quite dirty and worn. "You were on your way back to your village, weren't you?" He spoke.

Brianna turned away and folded her arms over her chest, clearly unhappy that they weren't setting off this very moment. "Yes." she spoke, with a pout.

"Lets go there first, then.." said Kiai simply, and he rolled his hot dog into his bread and took a bite.

"And exactly why should we go back to my village first? With the three of us, we can get to that cave no problem, and then I can prove that dragon exists!"

"To get you cleaned up, for one, and to get the story from someone who isn't traipsing about the countryside for another. Don't argue, because I for one am not going to follow you to the road, let alone this cave, unless I get the story from an unbiased source." He took another glance at Brianna's appearance, then continued, "Besides.. you look like you could use a rest.."

Brianna sighed. "Fine...after that, we head straight for the cave, then I'll show you that the dragon is real! I'll show everyone!"

Emily bent close to Kiai and whispered, "I think she's a little crazy..."

Kiai nodded at Emily. "Yes, that's the other reason to go to the village first..."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, mainly because Brianna was too busy wolfing down her soup, after which she removed her khaki top and shorts (to which Emily quickly placed her hand over Kiai's eyes) and slipped into her sleeping bag, with a blunt but cheerful "Goodnight!" and promptly fell asleep. Kiai and Emily exchanged yet another exasperated glance, then finished their meals in silence. When they finished, Kiai gave Emily a small kiss and wished her goodnight, and they both slipped into their sleeping bags and curled up near the low fire.

Emily stretched the next morning as she awoke with a yawn. She looked over, noticing Kiai still asleep in his bag, however, Brianna was no longer in her bag, though her clothes still remained by the side of her bag. She stared for a moment, then began to look around, wondering where the woman could have gone, especially in such a state of undress. She slowly pulled herself out of her sleeping bag and stepped forward, her eyes examining her surroundings. "Brianna?" she called out, but there was no response. "Where did she go...?" She turned back to Kiai, who was rolling in his bag, showing he was about to wake himself. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and she quickly sent electricity out through her body in defense as two hands grabbed at her waist. Her grabber was immediately struck with several hundreds of volts of electricity at once, to which her grabber fell to the ground, releasing Emily. When she turned, she found Brianna on the ground, her arms twitching from the voltage that had surged through her body.

The clap of electricity woke Kiai with a start. He turned in his sleeping back to look at Emily, and didn't need to see much of Brianna twitching on the ground to guess why she was. He hastily crawled out of his sleeping bag and to Emily's side, his eyes focused on Brianna. "What happened?" he spoke. His mind was racing: would Brianna spill the beans? What would they do if she did?

"I woke up and Brianna was gone...then she grabbed me...in defense, I just tossed up an electric shield...I didn't really think about it..."

Brianna groaned as she slowly felt the feeling in her body returning. She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, then stared at Emily and Kiai. "Oy...I was just joking...you didn't have to throw an electric Pokemon at me..." She rubbed her head then looked around, noticing there was, in fact, no Pokemon in sight. She seemed to just brush the thought off, though.

Kiai's heart started beating again, and he decided it best to just go with that. "Well, you shouldn't sneak up on people. We've had a.." He paused, considering if he should tell the details about their run-in with Team Rocket, but he decided against it. ".. a rough couple of days. Anyway, are you hurt?" Brianna grumbled a bit at being lectured to, and brushed the dirt off of her clothes as her only response. Kiai shook his head and turned back to his sleeping back, and proceeded to roll it up.

"You had me a little worried, Brianna...I mean...you're clothes were still sitting by your bag...I kind of assumed..."

"What? That I wondered off naked?" Brianna asked grumpily.

"Y-yeah, actually..."

Brianna shook her head and rolled up her bag. "Why would you think something like that?"

Emily shrugged before grabbing up her bag. "I just...assumed that was all you had..."

"No good archeologist would be without at least one change of clothes," Brianna spoke very firmly with a nod, folding her arms over her chest. "In either case, I guess we're heading back to my village, huh? It's not far from here, just a mile or so that way." She pointed off to the south.

Kiai paused in his packing to look south. The trees and hills were too dense to make anything out, but he was beginning to realize that life with Brianna was a "strap yourself in, hang on tight" sort of affair. "Just a mile isn't bad. We can have breakfast when we get there, and after we finish our business, we can head out in search of this dragon of yours." He finished packing and began to smother out the remaining embers of the fire. As he stood up, he groaned unhappily at how early the morning was. Just two days in the Pokemon Center in Saffron, and he was already back in his old habit of waking up late.

"You're really sure this dragon exists?" Emily asked. "I mean...it has been several hundreds of years...I doubt even a Dragonite could live that long..."

"I'm positive! Like I said, some trainers have spotted something in the cave that has attacked them with fire, and it roared, just like a dragon! So it has to be a dragon!"

"But...what if it's something else? I mean...don't you think there's even the slightest possibility of that?"

"None at all," Brianna spoke with a rather upset tone, as if she was hurt that someone was suggesting that her dragon might turn out to be something else. "Besides," continued Brianna, "There are legends dating back from the 1400's about brave knights who went to face the dragon, even some of the first Pokemon trainers! So don't go giving me any nonsense about this NOT being a dragon. It can't be anything else." Brianna shoved her belongings and loose clothes into her bag, the look on her face clearly indicating that the topic was closed.

Kiai gave Emily a "What're you gonna do?" look, and spoke, "Well, Dragonite can use Hyperbeam, among other things. Maybe they just said it was fire, because they didn't know any better?"

"Perhaps, but perhaps not...it is a really old dragon...so it's either a real live dragon, or an ancient Dragonite. If it's ancient, there's a chance it may have honed its skills. Maybe it learned something a Dragonite is incapable of learning without training for millenia...I have no real explanation for it, but I promise you this, when we reach that cave and explore it, you will see a dragon of some kind, whether its a real dragon or a dragon Pokemon, it will be a dragon."

Emily sighed. "Well, let's get to your village first. After that, we'll check out that cave."

The trio set out over the hills. The going was more rough than the path they were following, and more than once Kiai was unfortunate enough to trip over a Diglett hole, much to the amusement of the two ladies he was with. After a short walk, however, they reached Brianna's village. It was small, but quaint. "Welcome to Dragon Village," spoke Brianna with a grin, putting an unnecessary emphasis on the word "dragon". "We were named after the legendary DRAGON that lives nearby. Come on, I'll take you to my house." They followed Brianna through the village, and as they passed by a general store, Kiai could have sworn he heared the phrase "two kids beat Team Rocket" uttered from a few men inside. He lowered his eyes and was glad that Brianna was walking with such an energetic pace. After a short while, they arrived at a stout and warm wooden house near the edge of the village. Brianna entered joyfully, and called out, "Mama! Papa! Grandma! I'm hooooommmee!"

A tall, plain but beautiful lady walked into the room, followed by an old, grey-haired woman leaning heavily on a twisted cane. Their eyes lit as they saw Brianna, who dropped her pack by the door and ran to them and embraced them both at once. The hostess's duty was not lost, though, as Brianna's mother looked up at Kiai and Emily and spoke, "Oh! Forgive me, I didn't know Brianna was bringing guests. Please, come in." Kiai and Emily laid their packs down by the door next to Brianna's.

"Where's Papa?" Brianna asked.

Her mother replied, "He's at the store, he'll be back in a few minutes." Kiai felt a shiver run down his spine. If that man was at the store they just passed, he would have heard the news, and likely seen the headline story in the paper.

Emily gave a bow to Brianna's mother and grandmother. "Hello, my name is Emily Yamaki, and this is my boyfriend, Kiai." She waved over to Kiai. "We were on our Pokemon journey and have been making our way to Celadon when we ran into your daughter, where she told us about a legend of a dragon that exists here. We were curious about it, so she brought us here to learn more."

The woman smiled pleasantly and clasped her hands together. "Oh, isn't that wonderful. Well, you two make yourselves at home and I'll get us some tea." She walked off into the kitchen as Brianna, who, in her typical style, had completely ignored what was going on and disappeared off into it, was now casually walking out with an apple. Brianna slumped down into a chair and was happily munching away while the old woman stood and stared at Emily and Kiai, with a smile on her wrinkled face. "Are you two going to help Brianna find the dragon?" she spoke.

"Well, we were thinking about it...but we wanted to know more about it. Brianna seems to insist it's a real dragon...but both Kiai and I have my doubts...we think it might be a Pokemon like a Dragonite."

Brianna scoffed audibly, but her grandmother nodded knowingly. "Yes, you aren't the first to say that. And since no one has seen it, who can say?"

Brianna indignantly cut in, "But Grandma, YOU saw it! And what about the legend?"

The old woman smiled at Brianna. "I may have seen a Dragonite. If I had, would it change the legend?" Brianna pouted, and silently returned to her apple.

"We keep hearing about this legend...but we haven't actually heard what the legend is...I don't suppose...maybe...you could tell us about it?"

The old woman's face brightened at the request. "Of course, of course. Ah.. it was a long time ago, when this land was ruled by a powerful king, and an evil man tried to use his foul magic to conquer the kingdom.."

* * *

The doors to the throne room flew up, slamming hard against the wall behind them. From the door came a man dressed in a brown robe. His skin seemed rather pale, and a cloak covered his head, hiding his face. What little of his long hair could be seen was black as pitch, and he had a rather long, braided beard that came down to the middle of his chest. His crooked hands were folded together as he walked forward through the majestic halls before him. Pure darkness seemed to follow in his wake, almost in the form of a gaseous substance that seemed to spread out and slowly consume the halls. "Hello, Your Majesty," the man spoke with a crooked smile.

An older man with sharp dark eyes and a short beard sat on a gilded throne at the far end of the hall. He wore a golden crown upon his head and a velvet red cloak. His black hair fell straight and noble down his back. If it wasn't for their countenance and clothing, the two men would be indistinguishable from each other. In fact, they were brothers. "Good eve, Bartholemew." spoke the King, who did not exactly like the look of his brother, but did not show it in the slightest. His voice echoed many years of patience and wisdom. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your arrival?"

Bartholemew stopped before the throne and knelt down, throwing his long cloak back as he did. He bowed his head before speaking. "I have come to once again ask you to think over my proposal." He looked up at the King. "I wish only the best for this kingdom, and I still believe that conquering the land to the south would be in our best interest. They do not yet have an army, but they are many. They could easily overthrow our kingdom if they wished."

The King did not waver in his countenance, despite his annoyance at the repeated request. "Bartholemew, we have had this discussion before. I do not believe in the foolish legend that they control a dragon, and I shall not provoke a peaceful people without just cause. In fact, I have ordered an envoy sent to their land to discuss a trade agreement. The prince and princess will depart at first light tomorrow morning." Bartholemew sneered under his cloak, as he realized he could no longer convince the king as long as there was peaceful trade. "With that, I consider this matter closed. I wish to hear no more of it."

Bartholomew hid his frustrations and spoke, "Yes, your Highness" and walked quickly out of the hall, but his mind burned with a new, evil plot. "With the Prince and Princess gone," he sneered to himself, "there will be less resistance.. oh good King, you will see things my way, one way or another."

That night, Bartholomew knelt before a blood red altar that was lined with skulls. He had his head bowed, and his hands intertwined, as if he was praying. "Here me, Dark Powers. I pray unto you to help me save this land. The King cannot see the danger that lies before him. If left unchecked, the kingdom on our southern borders will certainly destroy us! Give me the power to control the King's mind and make him do my bidding. Allow me to save this kingdom before it is too late!" As he looked up, it was as if the altar itself had begun to glow. There was the sound of dark cackles and Bartholomew stood to his feet. A dark light shot up from the altar, and he grinned with a rather evil smirk as demons began to flow from the altar and surround him. The demons cackled and Bartholomew looked them over for a moment before returning to the altar once more. "Dark Powers, I thank you. With this, I shall save this kingdom!" He then let out an evil cackle that filled the room.

It had been almost a week after their arrival in the seaside kingdom when Princess Mylie and Prince Kidu arrived at the castle gates for yet another discussion. Their previous encounters had gone very well; they were treated as honored guests since their arrival, and the trade agreement was nearly formalized. It would only be another day or two before their task was finished and they would be able to return home. As they walked along the clean cobblestone road leading to the castle, the Prince gazed out upon the ocean, letting the wind pass through his long black hair held in place by a small crown. His red robes billowed behind him and he breathed deep the salty air. "Finally," he spoke with a satisfied smile, "If we formalize the trade agreement today, we can head home and get a break from this endless diplomacy."

The Princess nodded and sighed. "Diplomacy is so boring...I know it's good for the kingdom, but it takes so long...and it's just constant talking back and forth...It's actually quite droll...However, if we could keep the peace between our kingdoms, it will definitely be for the better." She turned, then her eyes caught upon something off in the distance. "Brother, do you see that?" she asked, pulling his arm and pointing off to the sight she was seeing.

The Prince looked off across the land. The castle itself was on a hill, so it afforded a decent sight. Off in the distance, there were several glints of light. The Prince had only seen such a thing once before in his life, when a northern army marched upon their kingdom and their uncle led their army to victory over them. From his bedroom tower, all that the Prince could see of the battle was sunlight glinting off of spears and swords. "I think we'd better get inside.." the Prince spoke, as he grasped his sister's arm. Together they ran up to the castle, only to be met by the King and his guards.

The King spoke to them, his face heavy with disappointment. "Sending his children to die in a foreign land just to expand his power.. you told me your father was shrewd, but you failed to mention cruel."

"No!" cried the Prince, "This is not the work of our father. He would never put us in harms way, for any reason! Something must have happened.. something.."

"You think I am a fool?" the King spoke loudly, but not at a shout. "Do you not see the army that comes towards our kingdom? They bare the flags of your kingdom. If it is not your father's work, then explain to me who could have given the order for war."

"I...I don't know..." the Princess spoke as she quickly clung to her brother. "Something is wrong, father would never do something like this!"

As if to finish his sisters thought, the Prince spoke, ".. but Uncle Bartholemew would. And..." he turned to look into his sisters eyes, as suddenly it made perfect sense, "he commands the kingdom's army. He must have deceived Father. Probably used one of those foul black magic potions. If we can rescue him, he will call off the army, I'm sure of it!"

"But how?" asked the Princess. "Our home is a two days ride from here, and the army will be here before sunset. We will never make it in time!"

Silence fell upon them as the Prince racked his mind for the fastest horse he knew of. He never completed his thought, however, as the King spoke, "Follow me."

The Prince and Princess quickly followed the King as he led them down a long path. The path led into a cavern, and the King stopped at the mouth of the cavern. "This cavern holds a secret," he spoke as he stared into it. "We have tried to keep it hidden from everyone, but I do not think we have succeeded."

There was a loud roar, which made the Princess jump. "Wh-what was that?" she cried out.

"That...was the dragon..." the King responded.

There was another loud roar and the Prince's eyes went wide. "Then...the rumors are true?"

"Only partially...the dragon lives here, in this cave, but we have no control over it ourselves...If you want to get back to your kingdom in time, this is the only way. You must persuade the dragon to help you. It's powers should be able to quell whatever evils have gripped your kingdom." The King turned. "Know this, however, if your kingdom does indeed go to war with ours, I will not hesitate to fight back. We may have no army, but we have each other. If we should fall, then we will fall united as one." He turned back to the Prince and gave a rather cold glare. "You would do well to remember that." With those words, he stepped away.

The Prince and Princess hesitated a moment, then, together, they walked forward. As they progressed deeper into the cave, there came an intense heat, and, eventually, a fiery glow. The echoes of their steps were broken only by the fierce roar of the fearful beast. As they turned a corner, the came face to face with it: an enormous, golden red dragon. It turned to look at them, its intelligent eyes shone like hot, liquid gold. The Prince took a moment to compose himself, then spoke, "D-Dragon! We need your help! Our father is beset by a curse, we must go to him quickly, and you are the only one who can take us there in time!" The dragon continued to look at them, and made no other action. "Please, dragon!" pleaded the Prince, "An army wrongly comes to wage war, thousands of innocents will die if we do not stop them!"

The dragon glared down at them, and smoke billowed from its lips as it spoke to them in a deep, rumbling voice, "Your people have begged for the power of the Dragons for generations, and always for selfish reasons. Prove to me that you come with selflessness in your hearts, and I will aid you."

The Princess looked at her brother for a single moment, then turned back to the dragon. "I...I'll give you my life." She stepped forward and the Prince quickly tried to stop her, but she pushed him away. "I'll give anything to save my father's kingdom, even my own life." She closed her eyes and held her arms out to the sides. "Do what you must."

The dragon stared at her for a moment, then the Prince walked up and stood beside her. "What you do to her, you must do to me as well." he spoke. "Our lives shall be forfeit in place of those thousands above us."

The dragon's throat rumbled as he contemplated the offer. "Since at least one of you needs to be alive to deliver the message, I shall eat the Prince now, and save the Princess for dessert after the task is complete. Come, show me your sacrifice." The dragon lowered his jaw to the cavern floor, and opened his mouth wide. The Prince turned white, and grasped his sister's hand. After a moment, he released, and walked slowly forward, climbing into the dragon's mouth and sitting on its wet tongue. The dragon snapped its head back and swallowed the Prince whole. "Now, Princess." it spoke, as it extended its forearm. "Climb onto my back, and I shall take you to your cursed father."

The Princess nodded and climbed aboard the dragon's back. There was no use in mourning, she thought, as they would both be together in the afterlife shortly. The dragon roared and flapped its massive wings before taking off through the cavern at an incredible speed that even the Princess couldn't believe. She watched the plains and the mountains fly by beneath her as the dragon flew ever faster to the north and to their kingdom.

It was only minutes since their departure that they arrived at their castle, so fierce was the dragons flight. The Princess looked down onto the castle courtyard where she saw her father commanding the formation of a second regimen of troops, though she knew not what for. "There, there he is!" she called to the dragon, and it flew down and landed in front of him. There was great excitement as the many soldiers picked up their shields and swords, but the dragon would not hear of it. With one flap of its wings, it blew them all to the ground. The Princess slid down off of the dragon's forearm and rushed to her father.

"Father, what are you doing?" she asked, but her father did not respond. He simply looked to the dragon and gave an order for the soldiers to attack. The soldiers, however, made no move. "Father!" She grabbed his arm and shook him, then turned to the dragon. "Dragon, you said you could help...I know not what you can do, but whatever you can do to free my father's mind, please do it!"

The dragon growled and lowered its massive head to the king. "Well?" shouted the king, backing up slightly. "What are you waiting for? Attack this beast!" His generals, and all the troops around him, simply stared and still made absolutely no move. There was silence as the dragon sneered, then spit out a puff of smoke into the kings face. The king breathed it in, blinked a few times, then looked around, confused. "A.. a dragon.. why is there a dragon here.." He looked around and saw his daughter. "Mylie.. why are you here? Why are our troops assembled?"

"Father.." spoke the Princess, "I believe Uncle has betrayed you. He has formed an army, and is marching on the southern kingdom. We need to stop him!" The King grew solemn.

"Bartholomew.. that bastard.."

"Come Father, the dragon will take us!" The two of them ran up the dragons forearm, and just as quickly as it landed, it leapt into the sky and flew off.

The dragon flew ever quickly south once more, making its way back to the southern kingdom. As it approached, Bartholomew noticed it, and he ordered the army to halt and prepare for battle. The soldiers did as they were commanded, but they shook in fear at the sight of the massive beast. As the dragon drew close, it pulled itself up, then closed its wings, letting itself drop and slam against the ground hard enough to shake the very earth around it. Bartholomew and the soldiers fell to the ground from the quake and Bartholomew growled as he pulled himself to his feet. "So, I was right, there was a dragon they would use to fight against us."

"No, Bartholomew," the king spoke as he hopped off of the dragon. "This dragon is a peaceful creature. It saved me from your wretched betrayal." Bartholomew growled and backed up some. "It's over, Bartholomew. You will be tried for treason for this."

Bartholomew began to chuckle at first, but his chuckle soon grew to an evil cackle, and soon he bellowed out in laughter before turning to the king with a wicked grin. "You think so, do you? Demons, arise!" he shouted and threw a small black object into the air that looked similar to a large vial of some sort. The vial shattered apart and demonic souls spilled out and surrounded the army and the dragon. "Now what will you do?"

The King and Princess backed away, but the dragon stood its ground. As the multitude of demons approached, the dragon drew its head back and blasted white fire at the demons, obliterating them all in one fell swoop. A look of fear swept across Bartholomew's face as he realized he was out of tricks. The dragon unfurled its wings and leapt at the army, giving the evil man just enough time to realize his fate before the dragon snapped him up and swallowed him. The dragon landed and walked back to the King and Princess, pausing only a moment as an odd look crossed its face, then vanished.

"We did it.." spoke the Princess. "We.. we..." she fell to her knees, as tears began to fill her eyes.

"Mylie...what is wrong?" the King asked as he knelt down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

"Father...to save you...Kidu and I...we...we promised our lives to this dragon...he asked for a selfless sacrifice...and Kidu and I both gave our lives up freely...it was all to save you..." She hugged her father and he looked up at the dragon.

"Is this...true?"

The dragon spoke to them, "Yes, it is true." The Princess looked up at the dragon's expressionless face.

"And as you said.. it's time for.. d-dessert.." She withdrew from her father's embrace and walked toward the dragon.

"Wait.. Mylie, wait!" cried the King. The dragon lowered its head and opened its jaw. The Princess closed her eyes and waited silently. However, she did not feel the heat of a mouth close upon her. Instead, she heard an odd choking sound. She opened her eyes and looked up as the dragons body convulsed. A lump ran up the dragons throat, and the dragon lowered its jaw to the ground as something the size of a person crawled out of its throat.

"K-Kidu?" the Princess asked as she recognized who had come out of the dragon's mouth. "Y-you're alive?" Kidu stood to his feet, shaken quite a bit from the experience.

"I...I am alive...but why?" Kidu asked, then turned back to the dragon. "What is going on?"

The dragon spoke to them, "You have both proven your worth, and that is all I asked for. Had you tried to cheat me, I would have been enjoying my dessert right now. Be well, children of selflessness." With that, the dragon leapt into the sky and flew back toward its home. The King sent the army home, and personally visited the King of the southern kingdom to apologize, but he had already been informed by the dragon of Bartholomew's treachery. In the days that followed, there was much peace between the two kingdoms, and they eventually formed a pact to become one. Though many of its people decided to remain in the seaside town, a good portion of them instead traveled north, and the newly formed Kingdom of Celadon became the trade capitol of the continent. As for the dragon, it remained in its cave for so long that it passed from memory into history, and from history into legend.

* * *

"And that," spoke the old woman, "is the legend of the dragon."

"Wow..." Emily turned to Kiai, unsure of what to say.

"See?" Brianna chimed in. "I told you, it's a real dragon, and it fought demons, and it saved entire kingdoms! So, now do you believe it's a dragon?"

Kiai shot a glance at Emily, then turned to Brianna. "I heard about a guy who could kill a man with a single gaze, who could liquefy a truck with a roundhouse kick, count to infinity twice, and whose tears could bring back the dead. His name is Chuck Norris." Kiai grinned. "I won't believe it until I see it."


	23. The Dragon of Celadon

**Chapter 23: The Dragon of Celadon**

"Yes?" a feminine voice responded to the sound of a repetitive beeping.

"Ma'am, we have a client who wishes to speak with you," a male voice spoke over an intercom.

The woman sighed. "On my way..." The woman pushed herself out of her seat and stepped forward. She was fairly tall, and rather muscular. A dark leather trenchcoat covered her body, and under it she wore a tight black shirt that hugged her curves, along with a pair of tight black pants. She wore a pair of sunglasses that covered her eyes, and a small receiver was in her ear. Her hair was dark, and could easily be mistaken as being black. "Man the bridge, I'll be back," she spoke to one of the men in front of her who was at a set of controls.

"Understood, ma'am," the man spoke and the woman turned, making her way to a door nearby. It opened automatically and she stepped through, making her way down a corridor before walking through another automatic door where she saw a small, fairly advanced looking ship sitting nearby. By the door of the ship was a man with a wicked smirk on his face. The man was thin with a hooked nose and straight black hair.

"So, you're the client?" the woman asked. "Your plot in Saffron falls to pieces, and you come running to me?"

The man's grin flickered for just a second at the comment, but he immediately regained his composure. "Saffron was a mild incident. Nothing we can't recover from. We just need some insurance that it doesn't happen again."

The woman looked at him the way a person watches an old television re-run. "I happen to know all the details of what happened in Saffron, and none of them speak of 'mild'. Last I heard, ninety-percent of your former organization is behind bars. And by the time you finish paying for my services, you'll be lucky to still have that fancy suit hanging off of your greasy back." The man stopped smiling.

"Now, then, your memo said you were seeking a rare pokemon in this area. Mind giving me more information?"

The man turned away and sighed. "Well, see, I'm not sure if it is a Pokemon..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The people of Celadon have a legend...they speak of a dragon that saved them long ago. Supposedly it's in a cavern to the south..."

"And you want me to find this dragon and capture it, then turn it over to you so that you can use it to try to get your plans back in commission again?"

"Something like that...yes..."

The woman turned away. "And what makes you think you could control this dragon?"

"Team Rocket has the technology to control the gods themselves." The man regained his smirk. "Yes, ninety-percent of our infrastructure has been torn down thanks to two damn brats. That remaining ten-percent is our security. Only myself and our former director knew about it. We have labs set up in almost every major city, and several in the mountains. Most of them are storage facilities for our latest tested equipment. You capture this legendary creature for us, and you'll have more money than you can dream of."

The woman grinned. "I take risks with pokemon, not with money. You pay me up front, or no deal."

"Tch. Fine." The man reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a small case. He opened it to reveal two stunning-looking blue pokeballs with a bold "M" on them and two vials, one filled with a swirling, ghastly blue liquid, the other filled with a calm green liquid. "Payment as agreed. Two Silph Co. Master Balls, and a 100cc sample of both the Pokerus and the antidote."

The woman walked up to the man and accepted the case. After inspecting the Master Balls, she smiled. "Looks like you get to keep that suit after all, Alfonzo."

Alfonzo scowled. "Well, then, you have your payment, so I expect to be seeing the dragon in my possession soon."

The woman smirked. "Don't worry, Alfonzo, you'll get your dragon." She turned. "I'll deliver the dragon to Mt. Silver in two days."

Alfonzo scowled again. He was obviously unhappy that the dragon wouldn't be in his possession within the hour. "Very well, but you better get it to me."

"Of course, Alfonzo." She smiled with a rather wicked grin, then stepped forward through the doors in front of her. Alfonzo then turned, boarding his ship and heading out from there. "Lay in a course for the Celadon Caverns," the woman spoke as she stepped onto the bridge.

"At once!" one of the men spoke, pushing some buttons on the console in front of him.

* * *

A devilish smirk crossed Brianni's face as she stopped in her tracks. She turned, watching Kiai and Emily come up from behind her, making their way through the small forest that led to the Celadon Caverns. "We're here," she spoke, then pushed away some of the overgrowth. "Behold, the Celadon Caverns, and home to the Dragon of Celadon!" Before them were a small set of caverns sitting in an open field.

"So, this dragon lives in one of these caves?" Emily asked. "You're sure about this?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well...it doesn't seem like there's really much here...I mean...you must have searched at least some of these caves, right? And there's only a couple of them anyway..."

Brianni glared. "True, but it's not how many caves there are, it's how big they are on the inside. I haven't even scoped out half of the inside of these caves, yet. How do you think I found you guys so far north?" she continued, "I think some of these caves run all the way to Mount Moon. They exist all over the continent, I'm sure of it."

Kiai laughed inside, and spoke, "How do you expect to find anything in these caves, then? It would take a lifetime!"

Brianna smirked. "One-third of a lifetime, now that you guys are going to help." Kiai felt his stomach knot a few times.

Emily sighed. "Look, Brianni, this Dragon legend is nice and all...and I for one would definitely love to see this Dragon of yours...especially if it is a real Dragon-"

Brianni quickly interrupted with "Of course it's a real Dragon!"

Emily sighed again. "I know that's what you think...but just hear me out...if we don't have a clue as to where it is, we can't do much...If these caverns are as big as you say they are, the chances of us finding a Dragon in all of this is really quite slim..."

Brianni seemed to give a low growl as she folded her arms over her chest. "So, you're not going to help me, after all?" she asked with a rather aggressive look.

"I think your time, and ours, would be better spent doing something other than searching for a dragon that may or may not even exist..."

"LIKE WHAT?" she yelled. "What is more important than this? Going to the moon? Winning some stupid Pokemon championship? Getting a nine-to-five job for the rest of your life? Huh? What, do you think I should single-handedly destroy Team Rocket or something? Do you think I need to do something like that to PROVE myself? I don't care about any of that! The dragon is down there somewhere and I'm going to find it and no one is going to stop me!"

Emily sighed again and looked at Kiai, who didn't make any moves or gestures. After a moment, she sighed, turning back to Brianni. "I guess there's nothing we can do to really persuade you at all to give this up..."

"Damn right!" Brianni shouted, which just made Emily sigh once more and shake her head.

"I just...don't want to see you waste your life searching after something that you have no proof exists other than a simple legend...Remember, not all legends are true...or even if they are true, they're usually blown up to epic proportions and the truth of the legend is lost..."

"I. Don't. CARE!" Brianni shouted, and then began to grit her teeth. "If you don't want to look for this dragon, then I'll look for it myself!" She reached into her the pocket of her khaki shorts and tossed a pokeball into the air, which came as a surprise to Emily. All this time spent with Brianni, and never once had she indicated she ever had a single pokemon, but she guessed it only made sense. When the ball opened, a long, slender, tree-like creature appeared from the ball. Its body was smooth as rock, but was colored like a tree, leading up to two branches that formed into three green balls at the ends. It also had two stubby legs, and sported, what kind of looked like, an antanna sitting on its head. Emily quickly opened her pokedex.

"Sudowoodo, the imitation Pokemon," the pokedex spoke. "Although it always pretends to be a tree, its composition appears more similar to rock than to vegetation and will run away if confronted with water."

As soon as it was summoned, the Sudowoodo snapped to a salute with a cheerful "Sudo!"

Brianni spoke, "Sudo, take me to the last cave we entered."

The pokemon pipped up with another "Sudo!" and scurried off toward a rocky outcropping.

Kiai and Emily were silent for a moment or two, then Kiai stepped up beside Emily. The guilt poured from his eyes as he shrugged helplessly to her and mouthed, "What can we do?" They hoisted their packs and followed Brianni into the outcropping. Brianni forged on regardless, not turning around or even acknowledging them. They made their way down a twisted maze of boulders and cliffs. Sudowoodo hopped around effortlessly, occasionally stopping near a root or limb and remaining motionless as it waited for an almost-equally nimble Brianni to catch up. The only reason Emily and Kiai were able to keep pace was because they kept slipping. They had more than a small handful of bruises and scrapes before they reached got to the bottom of the large crack. At the northern end, where Brianni as making for, they saw a dark chasm. Emily and Kiai approached at a brisk walk to catch up with Brianni, but neither of them liked the look of it.

"Alright, let's go," Brianni spoke to Sudowoodo. She stepped forward and knelt down. She pushed her legs into the chasm, then pushed forward, letting herself slide down the rather steep slope that lead down into the cavern system. Sudowoodo turned to Kiai and Emily for a single moment before giving a salute of sorts to nothing in particular, then jumping down into the chasm.

Emily peered into the chasm for a moment, and then pulled a pokéball from her belt. "Shadow, come on out!" She shouted, releasing a small black creature from the ball. It looked similar to a cross between a fox and a cat, and its ears were long and elliptical, forming into points at the end. Its tail was similar in shape, and a few small golden rings were upon its ears, forehead, legs, and tail. Its red eyes looked around for a moment before turning back to Emily and nuzzling against her leg.

Kiai briefly considered having Haunter or Butterfree out, in case he needed to abort his descent, but instead, he just shrugged and approached the slope. He extended one leg down it, keeping the other at the edge, leaning as far back as he could. He slowly nudged himself closer, and then slipped down in a semi-kneel, stretching out his arms to keep himself steady. He landed right behind Brianni, nearly crashing into her, who had taken out a flashlight and was looking around the cavern. There wasn't much to it, though as it progressed deeper it opened up, perhaps to a more complex cavern. Kiai stood at the landing and fumbled in his pockets for his flashlight.

Shadow was not far behind Kiai, and only a moment after that was Emily. The two looked around a bit, examining the cavern they were in. "Up ahead the cavern will split quite a bit," Brianni spoke suddenly. She turned back to Kiai and Emily, now acknowledging that she knew they were behind her. "I've already taken the left most path. That just led to where I found you two." She looked forward and began walking with Sudowoodo not far behind.

Kiai banged on the flashlight in his palm and it suddenly lit up. He turned and nodded at Emily, and followed Brianni. They walked slowly but determined forward. The cavern changed its size and shape quite a bit, and often times they had to squeeze through tight openings that were more than a little bit claustrophobic. Brianni, despite her age, maneuvered effortlessly through the cramped quarters. Sudowoodo kept up its odd habit of leaping hither and thither, stopping everywhere and remaining perfectly still, blending naturally into the environment. Eventually they hit a path that turned right, and sloped downward. Eventually curiosity, as it often does, got the better of Kiai and he asked, "Why did you choose the left most path? Just trying to keep things organized?"

Brianni didn't turn when she answered, "No. I decided to do these paths last because they led to lava flows." There was a resounding thud as Kiai lost his balance.

"Lava flows?" Emily shouted rather loudly. "Are you retarded? We can't just go walking into a cave with lava without proper protective gear, if such a thing even exists! I mean...don't they usually have machines for investigating things like this?"

Brianni just shrugged. "If you don't want to go, Sudowoodo will show you the path out of here to get you back to where I found you yesterday. As for me, I'm going in." Brianni turned and stepped forward, carefully making her way down the slope so as not to slip.

Emily growled. "She's going to get us all killed at this rate..." she hissed.

"A Water-type trainer worried about a little molten rock?" Kiai spoke as he grinned up at Emily, though his eyes were clearly worried. The trio made their way down and down. There were no paths, and on more than one occasion they had to use Sudowoodo as a stepping stone to reach another outcropping. Ancient earthquakes had torn this area of land apart, and unlike water-formed caves, these were simply massive splits in the earth's crust. Hours went by as they continued to travel, and eventually the air normally cooled by the subterranean rock began to grow warm. "Do you really think a dragon would be down here?" called Kiai to Brianni.

"Of course," she spoke in her usual matter-of-fact tone, "Fire-breathing dragons love heat."

"How do you know?" Kiai asked, incredulously.

Brianni paused a moment and stared at him. "Duh, everyone knows that." she spoke with a scoff.

"Well, yes, I'd imagine a fire-type Pokemon would love it here..." Emily spoke as she looked around, "but we're looking for a Dragonite aren't we? Most Dragonites have been spotted by the ocean...or even in lakes...I don't see any reason they would like a hot place like this..." She turned her attention back to Brianni, then gulped when she noticed the massive death glare Brianni was giving her.

"It's a fire-breathing Dragon! Not a Dragonite!" Brianni shouted rather loudly. "Not only does the legend state it exists in a cave here, but people have encountered it around here before! So I can guarantee, without a doubt, it is somewhere in this cave!" She growled and turned away, only to stop in her tracks when she noticed Shadow's ears perk up quickly.

"What is it, Shadow?" Emily asked and Shadow began to look around quickly.

"Umbreon umb," Shadow spoke and Emily looked forward.

"You heard something? What was it?" Shadow just shook her head in response, saying she wasn't sure. A chill went down Emily's spine, even in the unbearable heat. "Now I'm worried..."

Brianni glared at Shadow with distain, then snapped to Sudowoodo. "Sudo! Did you hear anything just now?"

Sudowoodo snapped to its typical salute with its cheerful "Sudo!"

"Gah," sighed Brianni, "you're no help."

Kiai looked around, barely breathing, trying to listen for anything. He reached to his belt and pulled off a pokeball. "Hypno, feel around the caves and tell me if you sense anything." he spoke, as he released his pokemon, lighting up the cave briefly. Hypno raised its hands, one holding the swinging pendulum, the other palm outward, fingers spread, as it released psychic energy. The trio stared at it as it searched, then all of a sudden, its eyes went wide and its whole body seized up. "Hypno..?" spoke Kiai, but before he could continue, the pokeball in Kiai's hand forced itself open, and Hypno forced itself back into it.

Silence reigned in the cavern for a moment, then Brianni let out a triumphant cheer. "You see? There is something here, something so old and powerful that your pokemon couldn't bear to be near it! There's a dragon in here, there can't be any other explanation!"

"Now calm down," Emily spoke, "before we go jumping to conclusions here, we need to figure out what Shadow is hearing. It may be your dragon, Brianni, but that still doesn't prove it is one." She then kneeled down next to Shadow, who was looking rather tense. "Shadow, can you lead us to the source of the noise you heard?" Shadow's eyes darted around for a moment, then slowly began to step forward. It sniffed the air a little, then turned back to Emily, waving with its head to tell her to follow. "Let's be careful, everyone," she spoke and Shadow led the way forward. Shadow's ears remained perked as they made their way deeper in, soon finding themselves at a small river of lava. Shadow waved, and they walked to the edge, finding a narrow path, only big enough for one person at a time to walk through. "Let's be really careful...One false step, and you're toast..."

The heat in the cavern was oppressive, but Brianni didn't seem to mind. Sudowoodo bounded energetically across and stood motionless as it waited. Brianni followed, skillfully traversing the narrow path. Kiai released Haunter, who hovered beside him as he made his way gingerly across. About mid-way, a bead of sweat fell into his eye, stinging and blinding him. In his haste to rub it away, he lost his footing. He was saved, fortunately, by Haunter, who helped right him and guide him the rest of the way. He promptly sat down, as his pounding heart probably didn't need any more work from him walking anywhere.

Emily surveyed her surroundings, then casually drew out a Pokeball and released her Squirtle. "Shellshocker, Water Gun! Cool down this lava so I can cross!" Shellshocker blew a blast of water at the lava, causing an eruption of steam. When it had cleared, Emily recalled Shellshocker and crossed the now five foot wide path effortlessly. Kiai grumbled, but Emily smiled, "It was your idea."

Meanwhile, Brianni had traced the course of the lava flow up the cavern a ways, and was examining something that looked awfully out of place, like a boulder the size of a small house had fallen from the cavern ceiling. Kiai and Emily caught up to her, and she whispered, "This is it…its right behind here…I can feel it…"

"You're sure your dragon is back there?" Emily asked, but it was none too soon before a loud roar could be heard from behind the boulder. Emily's eyes went wide at the sound and she quickly turned to Kiai, who was staring as well. There was definitely some kind of creature there. Emily turned to the boulder and thought for a moment, before turning to Shadow. "Shadow, can you use Psychic to try and move the boulder?" Shadow nodded, though it didn't seem confident. Its eyes began to glow a deep purple and the boulder began to shake in place as Shadow struggled to move it. It shifted ever so slightly, but it wasn't enough, and Shadow panted, relaxing after a moment.

"It's too big…" spoke Kiai, "and if we're too hasty, we could bring this whole cavern down." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I can't bring Hypno out to help…it's too big for Raticate…maybe Haunter could-"

Before he could finish, Brianni yelled out, "Sudo! Rock Smash!" Kiai raised his hands to stop her, but it was too late. Sudowoodo smashed into the enormous boulder, striking it with massive force. The boulder cratered where it was hit, and cracks appeared through it. "Again!" cried Brianni.

"NO!" shouted Kiai, as Sudo struck the boulder again. "Are you crazy? You could kill us all!"

Brianni snapped her head at Kiai defiantly. "The dragon will protect us! Sudo, hit it again!" Another attack, and the boulder split, half of it shifting down and sliding into the lava flow. Molten rock splashed up, fortunately not far enough to hit the trio, as the pieces of the boulder settled. Dust and dirt kicked up into their faces, and the cavern rumbled unpleasantly. "Again! Hit it again, Sudo!"

Though Brianni, Emily and Kiai were doubled over, half-blind and coughing, they could hear the fierce "SUDOO!" cry, the solid report, and the gut wrenching sound of rocks splitting and crumbling only a few feet away.

"Did we get it?" Brianni asked as she looked forward. The dust and dirt settled after a moment, and Sudowoodo stood triumphantly by the now pulverized boulder, which was left as nothing more than small rocks that could be easily traversed. "Yes! You got it!"

"You idiot!" Emily shouted, bringing a hand around and striking Brianni hard. "You could have killed all of us! Who knows what that boulder could have been supporting! Rocks don't just sit in the middle of a cavern for no reason, you know?"

Brianni rubbed her face. "The Dragon would have protected us! Just like it did in the legends!"

"If the cave had collapsed, the dragon would have cared more about escaping then saving our sorry asses!" Emily growled and stood to her feet, straightening out her outfit and padding herself down, trying to get at least some of the layers of dirt that now covered her outfit off of her.

"Well, in either case, we're fine, so it doesn't matter." Brianni turned to the path Sudowoodo had created. "The dragon is just ahead, let's go!" She quickly stood to her feet when she heard a rather unsettling sound. It sounded like lava flowing, but when Brianni turned around, what she found was only a simple, lava-colored slug creature making its way towards them. "Oh, it's just a Slugma." However, Shadow wasn't so sure. She reared herself back and began to growl as the sound of footsteps could then be heard from behind the Slugma.

"I think you for leading me here," a female voice spoke. "That dragon is mine now." From the shadows stepped a fairly tall woman. This was the hunter Alfonzo had hired, and a smirk was on her face. "Slugma, dispose of them."

Brianni's body tensed in a way that she was not accustomed to. Caves and critters she could deal with, but pokemon battles were not her forté. Fortunately for her, though, just as she was about to issue a command to Sudowoodo, a hand clasped on her right shoulder. Kiai stepped up to her, clutching a pokeball in his free hand, and spoke with an eager smirk, "It's our turn now, Brianni." He took a step forward, and before Brianni could say a word to stop him, another hand clasped upon her left shoulder.

Holding a pokeball in her hand and mirroring Kiai's smirk, Emily spoke, "Leave this one to us."

"All right, Goldy, let's do this!" Emily tossed the pokeball forward, unleashing her Golduck.

"So, you're going to fight me?" the hunter asked and laughed. "You fools, do you even know who I am? I'm the greatest Pokemon Hunter in all of Kanto. The name is-"

Before she could finish, Emily shouted "Goldy, Water Gun!" The Slugma in front of the hunter was immediately doused with a blast of water, which caused steam to flood the cavern rather quickly.

"I wasn't done talking!" the hunter shouted and Emily shrugged.

"I really don't care who you are, or care to listen to your damn monologues...I've had enough of that with Team Rocket. If you're going to fight, then shut your mouth and fight!"

Kiai grinned at Emily. "Did I ever tell you that I love you?" With that, he dropped his pokeball, and Haunter floated out. Emily returned his smile, before their moment was interrupted by the hunter.

"Two on one? I see you've learned a thing or two from Team Rocket. As well you should. I don't play by the rules either." With that, she tossed out another pokeball, and from it sprang a yellow dog-like pokemon whose fur stood on end in ferocious spines. Neither Kiai nor especially Emily needed an introduction to this familiar breed. "And I've got plenty more where that came from," the woman said with an evil grin. At that moment, Kiai caught his breath. Normally, even Team Rocket members only carry six pokeballs per person. Whoever this was, the rules clearly didn't matter to her. Even if Kiai and Emily were the stronger, they might be beaten simply by numbers. Unfortunately, the woman was not going to let Kiai take much time developing a counter-strategy. "Jolteon!" she shouted, "Use Thunderbolt against that Golduck!"

Jolteon reared itself back and gave a roar as electricity surged through its body.

"Lapry, Protect!" Emily shouted, tossing out a second pokeball. She had moved just fast enough that as Lapry appeared, it was able to throw up a barrier just a moment before it would have taken the attack for Goldy, protecting both it and Goldy.

"Clever," the hunter spoke with a smirk. "But that won't work twice. Jolteon, unleash another Thunderbolt on that Lapras!" Jolteon roared, letting electricity surge through its body again, unleashing it forward at Lapry.

"Protect!" Emily shouted, but it wasn't enough. The thunderbolt struck Lapry hard, knocking it out in a single shout. Emily bit her lip and growled. "Return, Lapry!" she quickly zapped Lapry back into her pokeball.

"Thunderbolt again, Jolteon!"

This time, Kiai was ready. "Haunter, Confuse Ray!" A blinding flash of light strobed the cave, through which only Haunter and Jolteon did not blink. Jolteon's fur bristled with pent up energy, but it did not discharge. After a moment, it began looking around, as if it was lost in its surroundings. The hunter grit her teeth, knowing she'd either have to forfeit one of her warriors or risk injuring it. She decided on the latter.

"Slugma, Tackle Jolteon. Bring it to its senses." The Slugma looked at its trainer oddly, wondering why it would attack one of its comrades. Kiai once again saw this as an opening.

"Fine," he spoke, quickly, "If you won't, I will!" He swiftly reached to his belt and threw out another pokeball. "Raticate, Quick Attack!" No sooner had the flash of light exited the pokeball than an almost unseen force smashed the bewildered Jolteon, knocking it back into a cave wall. When the hunter turned to see what had just happened, Raticate was already by Kiai's side, dancing on its feet, eager to continue.

"Clever, boy, very clever," the hunter growled. "Jolteon, return!" she shouted and zapped the nearly wiped out Jolteon back to its ball. "Are you ready for this one?" she asked as she grinned. "I'll bet you've never seen this one before." She drew a strange, black ball from her side. "Steameon! Let's do this!" she shouted, tossing the ball forward. When it opened, it was as if pure darkness flooded out of the ball, forming into a strange black fox-like creature. Purple smoke seemed to swirl around its neck, and the same smoke seemed to flow off its head and tail.

"What's that?" Emily quickly whipped out her pokedex.

"Data unknown," was all the pokedex responded with.

"Unknown?"

"Steameon, use Shadow Ball on that Haunter!" Steameon's mouth opened wide as a ball of pure darkness appeared in its mouth. The ball then shot forward, aimed right at Haunter.

Almost without thinking, forced by the chill that had dashed up his spine, Kiai pulled an empty pokeball from his belt and aimed it at Haunter. "Haunter!" he shouted, "Ret-" but before he could finish, Raticate lept into the oncoming attack and took it head on. Both Kiai and Haunter were visibly shaken by this sudden unknown pokemon, and both knew that the attack would have dealt serious damage because both of them were too stunned to react. Raticate, however, was thinking as fast as its feet usually moved. Kiai stared down at his pokemon, his arm still extended, holding the pokeball out.

The hunter laughed and drew a second pokeball. "Stunned by my pokemon, huh? Then how about trying two unknown Pokemon? Come on out Maneon!" She threw the pokeball forward, unleashing a brown fox-like pokemon. This one had long brown fur, and on its legs were bandages, looking much like what a boxer would use while practicing. "Maneon, the Fighting Evolution of Eevee, and Steameon, the Ghost Evolution of Eevee," the hunter spoke with a grin. "Now, wipe them out! Maneon use Low Kick and Steameon use Shadow Ball!"

Kiai was catching up now. "Raticate, Haunter, switch!" he shouted. Raticate and Haunter quickly switched places and sped forth to accept their complete lack of doom. Raticate took the Shadow Ball once more, and was completely unphased. Maneon passed straight through a giggling Haunter.

Emily shook her head, snapping herself back to reality. "Fighting and Ghost, huh?" she turned to Shadow, who gave a nod. "I can't do much about the ghost, but I can do this. Shadow, use Psychic!" Shadow's eyes began to glow and Maneon found itself gripped by dark energy. Shadow quickly threw its head up, sending Maneon flying into the air, slamming into the ceiling. "Don't relent, Shadow!"

The hunter growled. "I am not going to lose this!" she shouted and drew yet another pokeball. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a rock flew up from behind Kiai and Emily, flying passed them and striking the hunter's hand, knocking the pokeball out of her hand. Brianni stepped forward, Sudowoodo at her side. Both looked rather serious. "Sudowoodo, use Rock Smash on the hunter!" Sudowoodo rushed forward bringing one of its branches up.

The hunter brought her arms up, blocking the attack and growling. "Using a pokemon against me?"

Brianni smirked. "You said you don't play by the rules, so why should I?"

The hunter growled again, pushing her arms forward, knocking Sudowoodo back. "Clever...very clever..." she growled.

"Give it up, with all three of us, there's no way you can win."

"You fool, I won't lose to you!" It was then that there was a roar and the hunter looked up. There she saw a shadow behind Kiai, Emily, and Brianni. She smirked. "It seems our fight has drawn the attention of the dragon."

The hunter spun around on her heels as a massive shadow approached them. Her trenchcoat billowed out just enough that no one could see that she was reaching into it, grasping for something special.. something that would allow her to complete her mission. Her fingers wrapped around it and, just as the massive beast stepped into view, she threw the Master Ball at it. Brianni caught the motion at the last second, and was able to shout "NO!" as the Master Ball sailed into the air. The hunter's aim was true, and it struck the enormous, lumbering beast…but simply fell to the ground.

"N-no…no that's not possible.." muttered the hunter, who was now beginning to take a few cautions steps back. All four of the cave-dwellers, including their pokemon, raised their eyes as a fiery red-gold head emerged from the shadows. It tilted its head to look at the useless Master Ball, a representation of the pinnacle of pokemon technology lying ignorantly on the cold cave floor. Without so much as batting an eyelash, the beast continued to move forward, stepping on the Master Ball and shattering it.

As it gazed around, slowly taking into account what was going on, Kiai pointed a trembling finger at it, his eyes wide. "You…you're not…a Dragonite…"

To everyone's surprise, the beast spoke, quite plainly: "Yes, that's correct."

"But...h-how...you...you're a...a..." Emily stuttered out.

"A Charizard?" the beast asked as it stepped forward, revealing the fullness of its body, leaving Emily to only nod. Its fiery red-gold body and golden underbelly were now plainly visible. Its massive wings were as wide as the cavern itself, both having a blue underside to them and were carefully tucked around its body. The fire on its tail seemed rather dull and almost lifeless, yet still burning. It looked towards the hunter and growled. The hunter was now cowering in fear, unsure of what to do. The beast was at least twice the size of an average Charizard, if not more. "You who have desecrated my home and attempted to harm me, justice shall be served," the Charizard spoke to the hunter and opened its mouth. It roared loudly as fire began to form in its mouth and the hunter could only stare, wide eyed.

"N-no!" she shouted before the flames shot forward from the beast's mouth, consuming the area around her. Much to her surprise, she had only been singed by the flames. Her pokemon, however, had been wiped out in a single shot, now lying on the ground unconscious and severely burnt. "Wh-what..."

"Leave this place now, or you will face even worse," the beast spoke, and, as if suddenly struck by the greatest of fears, the hunter vanished, running away in such a hurry that she left her unconscious pokemon behind.

Kiai, Emily and Brianni stared at the Charizard in a dazed silence. It did not take long before the Charizard became decidedly bored and spoke, "Oh come now, three young children and you aren't bursting with questions?"

Promptly, Kiai blurted out, "Impossible! Charizards don't live that long! There's no way you could have survived in a cave for hundreds of years, or gotten that…that…big!" The beast took a few lumbering steps toward the trio and lowered its massive head down to inspect Kiai, who was more than visibly shaken by this sudden intrusion. Its massive golden eyes locked with his for a brief moment, and then it drew back.

"Intelligent, wise, spirited. Impressive for one so young. Yet, to be always searching for an answer and never finding one must be terribly lonesome." With that cryptic statement, the Charizard lifted its massive tail up to show that the flame wasn't of fire, but a massive wad of glowing, molten rock. It lowered its tail back into the river of lava flowing past them, and smiled slightly as it saw the look of dawning comprehension melt into Kiai's face.

For Kiai, he could only shake his head and mutter, "Incredible…"

Brianni blinked in a bit of confusion. "I...don't understand..." she spoke.

"Simple," Emily spoke, "the fire on a Charizard's tail tells you how alive the creature is. If the fire dies, so does the Charizard...this Charizard, however, has found a way to sustain that fire beyond his time...by using the lava."

The Charizard nodded. "She is correct. The lava here sustains me, and without it, I would die."

"But...how do you stay alive? Surely you need food, or even water..." Brianni spoke.

The Charizard smiled and rose his tail once more. "This rock of molten lava sustains me for the short periods I must leave this cave. However, it only lasts me a few minutes, so I must return quickly."

"That's...amazing..." Brianni looked down for a moment. "But wait a minute...the legend calls you a dragon...and it says that, when you fought Bartholomew, that he unleashed demons."

The Charizard smiled. "The legend, in that regard, is true. You humans...as your life continues on, forget your past. You forget the way things used to be, and how things have changed. Long ago, when I saved this kingdom from Bartholomew, you humans knew very little of your world. You classified creatures like me as Dragons, and from that, you created your legends. When I saved this kingdom, I fought against Bartholomew, and he did, in fact, use demons. Or rather...he used spirits. These spirits became classified as demons due to their look. Nowadays, however, you would not call them demons, but instead, you would use the label 'Gengar'."

At the word, Haunter, who was still floating around, perked up. Charizard looked at it, and nodded. "Yes, that too was a demon. A demon of nightmares, or so they called it."

"So…" spoke Kiai, a smile on his face, the sort of smile he always got when he was putting things together, "the lava forced your tail-fire to burn long after it went out…that sustained your essence…and since it stayed hot enough for a few excursions, you were able to hunt…and since no one would ever come down here, you'd never be found…but that was a Master Ball…how…?"

"Child," answered Charizard, "do you have any idea how powerful I've become, bathing daily in liquid stone?" Kiai grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.

"Rrraticate! Raaaticate!"

Charizard peered curiously at Raticate, then spoke, "Just floss regularly." All the while, Brianni was becoming increasingly frustrated.

"This doesn't make any sense, and there's no way it's true! I am not going to believe some giant Charizard is a dragon from ages passed! I could have understood a Dragonite or something...I mean...it IS a dragon after all...but how the hell could a Charizard possibly be a dragon? I mean...come on...Okay, you have the wings and the tail and you breathe fire, but dragons also grow from little hatchlings that grow into the 'sub-adult Drake' and then grow into dragons. All of which have wings, and neither a Charmander nor a Charmeleon has wings, so it's physically impossible for a Charizard to be a dragon!"

Charizard looked dolefully between Kiai and Brianni, then mumbled to Kiai, "You two have been at odds this whole trip." It was more a statement than a question, but Kiai nodded. "Where you search but never find, she finds but will never search. Child," he spoke, turning to Brianni, "I am the legend you have been seeking. I am the dragon your race spoke of. What I am and what you want me to be are only different in your mind."

Brianni could not take any more. "But you aren't supposed to be a POKEMON!" she cried, stamping her foot, "You're supposed to be a DRAGON!"

"IT IS A DRAGON!", and everyone turned to stare at Emily, who had made that uncharacteristic outburst. Emily glared at Brianni and continued, "Don't you see what it means? You've been searching for a dragon all this time, and you were expecting to find one like in your fairy tale. Those don't exist! They're just stories! The real thing is right in front of you! And no matter whether you call it a dragon or a Charizard, it's the same thing! You were looking for a name, not a legend, and you can't find a name!"

Brianni growled, her face showing she was offended by Emily's statement. "But it's not a dragon!"

Emily stormed up to Brianni, and out of nowhere, her hand rose up, smacking Brianni hard across the cheek. "You foolish fool," she spoke rather out of character. "Can't you see? You've believed in this legend your whole life, this fairy tale that a real dragon saved this kingdom. Dragons aren't real, they never were. It was all a name given to many creatures of this sort, nothing more. The past is like gossip. Something happens, and they tell someone about it. From there, those people tell other people about it, but when they do, they add in their own bits and pieces. Soon, the past becomes an overblown mess, and the true story is lost. This new fairy tale then becomes myth and legend, and it becomes what people believe. Remember the story of Hercules. Who was he? Well, according to the myths he was the son of the God Zeus. Oh, except that he was only a half son, because while Zeus was married to Hera, he impregnated a woman from Earth. Oh, but that's only one myth. Another story tells that he was the son of Hera and Zeus and that two little demons stole him away and turned him mortal, but because they failed to give him the last drop of the potion, he retained his god-like strength. Oh but a third myth tells us that he wasn't any of these things, he was just a great hero who became a god because of his deeds. Now, you tell me which is the truth and which is not."

Brianni was lost, unable to speak at those words. They held truth, and just as much truth as they held, the same was held for her dragon. Brianni's eyes swam with tears as the truth came crashing down upon her. The dragon she was looking for... never existed. A cold silence washed into the cave, filled only by the echoing sobs as Brianni tried to hold back the tears of wasted years ending in utter failure. Charizard lowered its head and gazed upon her. "Child…" it spoke, "You may not have found your dragon…but you did find your legend. Is that not what matters?"

Brianni looked into its enormous golden eye and, choking back her sobs, nodded. "But…" she spoke, as it pulled away, "the legend is dead now…no one will believe in it now that they know it's just a pokemon…"

That statement seemed to perform the ironic task of lighting a fire under Charizards ass. "Just a pokemon?" it spoke, rearing back, "JUST A POKEMON?" it bellowed, shaking the cavern walls, "CHILD! I have lived for too many centuries to be insulted like that!" It unfurled its wings as much as the cavern would allow, and its golden-red flesh began to glow with a fiery light. "I have fought countless battles and won them all! I have laid low warriors the like of which are not seen in the world today! I have shaped a continent with my deeds and a culture with my memory!" Its eyes flashed a brilliant yellow light, and flames flew from its lips as it spoke. Emily, Kiai and all the Pokémon cowered in its presence, but Brianni looked upon it with an enraptured awe... for it was now, she finally realized, she really did find her dragon.

Brianni stared for a time before she slowly stood to her feet. The Charizard growled, looking as if it was ready to unleash a blast of fire to consume Brianni, or even swallow her whole. "You're right," she spoke suddenly with a smile. "You're not just a Pokemon. You're a fucking-awesome-damn-powerful-destructive dragon! That look you have right now...it's actually as I imagined the dragon of the legend..." She looked down, closing her eyes. "You may be a Charizard, but you're not 'just a Pokemon'." She looked back up; a fire in her eyes showing her passion had been renewed. "This is fucking awesome!" she shouted and turned to Kiai and Emily. "So, now we've gotten a chance to finally meet the real dragon of the legend. It's just as I imagined it!" She gave an almost maniacal laugh, to which Emily wondered if Brianni had suddenly gone insane.

Brianni whirled on her heels, turning back to the dragon. "Thank you, dragon. You've made me so happy to finally have met you. I...I don't know...if I should tell people of this or not..." she looked down. "An incredible find...but...once they know you're here, and that you really exist, everyone will want to see you...I'm sure many others will be disappointed to find the truth...I think..." she looked back to Kiai and Emily. "I think maybe...I'll keep this a secret..." She turned back to the Charizard. "That is, unless you want others to know."

The Charizard grinned and gave Brianni a knowing wink. "You are not the first to have found me, child." With that, it plucked a golden scale from its chest and, holding it in its palm, blew a white flame upon it. After several moments, it lowered its claw to Emily, and within its palm was a white-hot glowing band the size of a ring. "Douse this for me, please." it spoke.

Emily looked up at it, and replied, "Won't I hurt you?"

The charizard smiled, "If you could, child, I would admit to being very impressed." Emily nodded, then turned to Lapras, "Lapry, Water Gun." Lapras obliged, dousing the glowing band and Charizard's claw with it, though the Charizard didn't even flinch. When the Water Gun subsided, Charizard proffered the ring to Brianni. "For you, child. It is time you stopped searching for legends and began to make one of your own." Brianni took the ring in her hands, and stared at it in stunned silence. Charizard caught the glance of longing from Kiai, and winked at him. "You two have already made yours." For a moment, Kiai didn't understand him. In the next moment, he wondered how a cave-dwelling fire-lizard kept up with current events.

"Thank you, dragon," Brianni spoke, giving a bow. "I think you're right. It's time I stopped trying to find legends. I have my own story to tell, we all do..." She turned back to Kiai and Emily. "We're all a main character in our own stories, so long as we each make our own stories."

The Charizard nodded with a smile. "You have learned much since you came here," he spoke. "Always remember, keep your mind open and expected the unexpected. I remember a quote from someone, though I remember not how long ago I heard it. The quote was 'A mind should be like an open book in which every can write in'. Keep that in mind as you leave here, and remember, the past is not always what we think it is, and the future is what we make of it."

"Thank you again, dragon," Brianni spoke with a final bow. "I will always remember you."

With that, the Charizard turned its bulk around and lumbered back into the cave, letting its tail drag along the river of molten rock. When its glow had subsided, Kiai turned to Emily and grinned. "Wow, just wait until Professor Oak hears about this!" As if in response, a fierce roar echoed throughout the cavern. Kiai, suddenly timid, replied in a small voice, "Or not..."

Emily giggled. "Come on, let's go."

The three made their way out of the caverns and back to the trail. Brianni smiled and stared forward, looking off into the horizon. "Guess this is where we part ways," she spoke, then turned back to Emily and Kiai.

"What will you do now?" Emily asked.

Brianni shrugged. "Go back to my village, maybe start my own journey after a day or so there...I've been away from home for a while now...it would be nice to go back and actually stay there...even if for only a few days..."

Emily smiled and gave Brianni a hug. "Well, maybe we'll meet up again."

Brianni nodded. "Perhaps," she spoke, then held out her hand to shake Kiai's hand.

Kiai raised his eyebrow at Brianni's hand, then spoke, "It's not ticking, is it?"

"No," replied Brianni, deadpanned, "but I'd check your bag before six pm this evening." Kiai's cheeks turned a sickly white, but Brianni just laughed. Kiai shook his head.

"Maybe you should try poker. You've got the face for it." He shook Brianni's hand with a grin, and they parted. Sometime later, as Kiai and Emily were walking down the road to Celadon, Kiai turned to Emily and asked, "So what're you going to do with your new pokemon? They might need some training before they respond to you." Of course, he meant the two Eeveelutions Emily picked up that the Hunter left behind; they both decided that Brianni would take the Slugma.

"I don't know...I'll probably work on training them a bit once I know a bit about them...I was thinking I might send them to Professor Oak...I mean, if these are yet undiscovered Pokemon, he would definitely be interested." She looked down at her belt which now held six pokeballs again. "Shellshocker, Lapry, Goldy, Shadow, and these two new ones...I guess I'll need nicknames for them to..." She pulled out the pokeballs that held Steameon and Maneon. "But what to call them? 'Ghostie' and 'Fighter' just sound lame...but that's all I can think of..." She looked at Kiai, who shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, you don't nickname your Pokemon, so you don't care."

"Your other option, maybe after Oak gets a look at them, is to trade them at this Celadon convention. Hell, two new Eeveelutions? You could probably trade just one of those for everything you need for an entire Eevee team. It's an option, at least."

Emily nodded. "That reminds me," she spoke, "are we going to make it to Celadon on time?"

Kiai looked up at the sun, or more accurately, looked across at it. They had set off with Brianni in the early morning, and ended up spending all day with her. The sun was just about to set, and they had gotten almost nowhere on the path. Regardless, he nodded. "We'll make it. We had a few days to spare anyway, so we should be fine." He turned to Emily and grinned. "Provided we don't have to search for Bigfoot next."

Emily giggled and nodded. "Yeah, it was in a week after all, and it's only been a couple of days. Celadon also isn't too far from Saffron anyway. We should definitely make it." She pulled out her pokedex, loading up the information for Glaceon once again. "I wonder if they'll have any of the Sinnoh Eevees there or not...and if so, I wonder if I can get either of them."

Kiai shrugged, and then stretched his arms and yawned loudly, happy to be on the road again, but tired from that ordeal. As glad as he was to be away from the crowds in Saffron, he sure missed those soft beds. However, there would be more beds at the end of this road, and hopefully, no ordeals to go with them. He looked over at Emily, still fiddling with her Pokedex, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Emily giggled and pushed herself up against him, making him instinctively wrap his arm around her. The two then continued along their way towards Celadon and their next adventure.

* * *

A/N: In this chapter, we introduced two new Eeveelutions. These are not real Pokemon. They were created and used with permission from Cachomon on deviantart, so go check them out there. I'd provide a link, but this site won't let me. So, just keep that in mind.

Next chapter starts Sinnoh Con (which will likely cover several chapters). If you like Appealshipping, I recommend checking it out.


	24. The Day Before

**Chapter 24: The Day Before**

"Celadon City...we're finally here..." Emily spoke as she stared forward at the rather impressive city that stood before them. There was a big sign at the entrance of the gate and Emily turned her attention to it. "'Sinnoh Con, starting on June Fifth through the Nineth'," she read, then pulled out her pokegear. "Hey! We made it a day early! Look!" She held up her pokegear, showing the clock. It read "June 4, 12:16PM".

Kiai smiled. "Good, we can probably meet up with Ash and the gang and chill out before things get too busy. First though, we ought to hit up the Pokemon Center. My feet are killing me." He shifted his weight uncomfortably as he spoke, then added as an afterthought, "I sure wish we had a bicycle."

"Bicycles would be nice...but walking around in such beautiful terrain is pretty nice as well. Of course, we also hurried here..."

Emily stepped forward into Celadon City, and her eyes examined the area. She saw all kinds of decorations already being put up to make the city look more like something from the Sinnoh Region. Floats were making their way into position for the next day, banners were being put up, and a big screen TV was being set up in the center of the city, where they had already constructed a rather large platform that Emily could only guess was the stage where most of the events would be held. All the same, there were several small stands being set up all over with big banners, balloons, and an assortment of other decorations.

"If by 'beautiful terrain' you mean the inside of a twisted cave full of molten lava and-" he stopped short as Emily gave him a sideways glare. "-... eccentric women, then yes, that was quite the scenic trip." His own eyes wandered across the decorations to the numerous food stands being set up. He could already smell the fried dough and other assorted treats associated with carnivals, and he was interested in trying out some cuisine from the Sinnoh region. "I wonder what sort of events they're going to have," he said, absent-mindedly. "Maybe we should ask your sister, if we can find her." Even though it was a day before the con, the town was starting to become lively, though surely nowhere near as lively as it would be once the event was in full swing.

Emily nodded. "She might know, let me see if I can call her." She pulled her pokegear out once more and accessed the phone application. With a couple button pushes, the gear began to ring, indicating the call was going through, and that the other person's gear should be ringing as well.

A moment later, the ringing stopped and there was a sudden burst of loud noises that came from Emily's gear. "Hey, Emi!" Emily could barely hear her sister say over the background noise.

"Wow, sounds like it's pretty busy wherever you are," Emily spoke into the gear.

"Yeah...I'm near the Celadon Gym, and boy...it's gonna be tough getting around here. Everyone knows who I am, and with the amount of people there are already, and the amount of people flocking to me every second, I wouldn't be surprised if...WOULD YOU PLEASE GO AWAY? I told you I am not interested!" There was silence for a moment. "Sorry...this guy keeps hitting on me...Anywhere, where you guys at? You reached Celadon yet?"

"Yes, we're at Celadon, the east entrance. We were about to go to the Pokemon Center but.."

Emily trailed off as Amy cut in, "Perfect, I was just about to head there myself. I'll meet you two there! Incidentally.." she lowered her voice, and Kiai and Emily had to lean close to the pokegear to hear, "The media frenzy regarding 'the incident' hasn't died down completely. Not only that, your faces were front-page news for three days straight. You did good keeping quiet for all this time, but there are still a lot of people out there who are looking for you... good people and bad people. I advise you keep a low profile and avoid both, at least until tomorrow."

Emily nodded, even though she knew Amy couldn't see her. "We'll keep an eye out and try to avoid anyone suspicious if we can. Have Ash and Misty shown up yet?"

"No, they won't be here until late today. Ash actually left for Sinnoh the other day. He wanted to personally escort his friend, Dawn, and her girlfriend, Zoey, here himself. Didn't want them running into trouble since they were the ones hosting it. Plus, with everything going on lately, it's just safer anyway. And don't forget, Ash was the first one to arrive on the scene, since he was the first one you guys called. And with his history, his face has been in the papers again as well. Luckily, he's better than I am at dealing with it."

There was a brief pause, filled with the noise of some scuffling. "Also sis," Amy continued, sounding obscenely annoyed, "could you have my very large and very jealous boyfriend meet us there? Thanks. See you two soon." With that, she hung up.

Kiai looked at Emily, then spoke, very seriously, "You don't happen to have a Machamp on you, do you?"

"Err...no, I don't...I have Maneon, though...that's...about the best I could do...why?" Emily asked, looking very confused.

"Hmm..." Kiai turned away and appeared thoughtful. "Well, Amy never said anything against bestiality, so I guess we'll go with that." He looked at Emily, who's face was an awkward jumble of confusion, concern, and disgust. "What?" he asked, "It's only in case we need it."

Emily shook her head. "I don't even think I want to know what you're thinking..."

"No, you don't." he replied, very matter-of-factly. He paused, then gave Emily a playful nudge with his elbow and a silly smile.

Emily rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Anyway, let's just get going to the Pokemon Center..." She pulled out her pokegear, pushing a couple buttons and loading a map of Celadon. "The Pokemon Center should be to the north a bit," she spoke as she consulted the map, only to look up and notice the dome of the Pokemon Center behind the building in front of them. "Which...of course...means it's directly in front of us..." She sighed. "Why do I even bother?" She put her pokegear away.

"Because you're cute." Kiai spoke, ruffling her hair. They walked into the Pokemon Center, its sliding doors opening with a friendly "bing!" There were a fair number of trainers there, ranging from all ages, and they were all busy with each other, showing off their pokemon or looking at pamphlets. Kiai and Emily walked up to the front desk which, oddly, was not manned by either a Joy or a Chansey. They reached up to the bell to ring it, but before they could, Nurse Joy walked in through the hospital doorway, her nose buried in a busy clipboard.

Entering the atrium, she looked up at Emily and Kiai and gasped. Kiai panicked, and raised his hands to silence her before she said anything above a whisper. "I.. I can't believe it.." she spoke, as softly as possible but loud enough for Kiai to worry, "My sister told me about you two, but not that you'd be coming here! Oh goodness, what an honour it is to meet the two Pokemon trainers who-" She was interrupted by Emily who began to admit an admonishing "ssshhh!"

"We're trying not to draw attention to ourselves," Emily spoke quietly and Joy nodded, then gave a bow.

"How can I help you two today?"

"We just need to revitalize our Pokemon. We've had...quite an interesting week..."

Joy nodded. "I can imagine." She pulled out two small trays and Emily placed her pokeballs upon one while Kiai placed his upon the other. "I'll get your pokemon all revitalized for you, though it might be a bit, we're quite busy with the Con starting tomorrow."

Emily nodded. "I can imagine."

With that, the two of them found an empty couch in the atrium, in as remote a corner as they could manage, and sat down to wait. Kiai plopped his feet onto the table as Emily noticed a stack of brochures, broadly advertising the Sinnoh Con. She opened it and started to flip through it. Listed were many events that the Con would be hosting and when they were going to occur. She looked around and realized that this was the pamphlet that all the other trainers were scrutinizing so carefully; they were planning their next five days down to the minute. She spread the pamplet on her lap and began to read.

"Wow..." Emily spoke after several minutes. "They've got a lot going on in this Con...hard to believe it'll all fit into five days." She then stared at one event. "Hey, look! They've got a tournament going on. It says they're going to reward the winner of the tournament with a special Sinnoh Region-only Pokemon."

Kiai leaned up from his relaxed posture and ran his eyes down the list. "Wow.." he spoke, "food tasting.. they've even got a card tournament.. and a show tournament.. that's incredible.. I had no idea there would be so much." At that moment, they both looked up to see a figure standing on front of them. "Hi Amy," spoke Kiai, "We've got your boyfriend right here if you need it.." He reached over to Emily's belt, but Emily swatted his hand away.

Amy giggled. "He left me alone rather quickly, actually, once I made that statement."

Emily smiled. "Well, that's good, sounded like the guy was really bugging you."

Amy nodded. "The worst part was...he was like...forty..." she shivered. "I may like guys...but I'll be damned before I even think about dating a guy more then five years older then me...let alone almost twenty..."

"Eww..." was all Emily could say to that.

"How about five years youn-" started Kiai, before an enormous mallet appeared out of nowhere and flattened him.

"Anyway," continued Emily, "How have things gone since we left?"

"Good," spoke Amy, seeming to breath a sigh of relief as she sat down next to them. "At least, as good as things can be. I must have developed a knack for dealing with publicity, because that mess you two made wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This con, on the other hand.. I don't know who's running the show, but it seems like no one has any direction on what to do. It's been a mess. Still, we're getting by, and we should be ship-shape in no time."

"Well, that's good, that things should be working out anyway..." Emily thought for a moment. "So...tell me, who is this Dawn person?"

"She's Ash's friend from the Sinnoh region. She and Ash were journeying together when he was there a while ago. She got into the Sinnoh Contests and was trying to be a coordinator. She was great at it, but when she got into the Grand Festival, she lost in the last round. The funny thing was, she lost to the girl who is now her girlfriend." Amy laughed a little at that.

"So, I wasn't hearing wrong. Dawn is a girl and has an actual girlfriend?"

Amy nodded. "Yeap, she and Zoey are very much in love, have been since they met, just took a while for either to confess their feelings for each other."

Emily smiled. "Well, that's good at least, that they decided to come out about who they are. The real world can be harsh for people like that sometimes..."

"You're right," said Amy, "but things change, and brave people like Dawn and Zoey are helping those changes." She paused a moment, then shot a joking glare at Emily. "You wouldn't happen to be interested, would you? I wouldn't be surprised if you were, given the company you keep." She poked Kiai, who was still unconscious from the hammer of great justice.

Emily blushed. "Well...I've never said anything...I'm also not really sure...but...I have had times where I've noticed other woman are really attractive...so...I think I might be bisexual at least...but I know I definitely like boys...otherwise I wouldn't be with Kiai." She also poked Kiai a bit. "I mean...he's a little weird at times...but hey, we all are, right?"

Amy giggled. "Yep, and there's nothing wrong with being weird." She leaned over Kiai toward Emily and whispered, "No one told you this, but that Officer Jenny? I wouldn't mind giving her a cavity search, if you know what I mean." She winked at Emily, who blushed even more. "My my," spoke Amy, a bit louder now, and grinning from ear to ear, "don't you look like a little tomato."

Emily covered her face with her purse and Amy laughed. "I-in either case...umm..." Emily looked around, then down at the pamphlet. "I heard they've got some tournaments going on. Any clue what the awards will be? It says they're Sinnoh region Pokemon...but it doesn't say which ones they're giving out."

Amy shrugged. "I'm as clueless as you, I'm afraid. They didn't tell me much. This whole Con is disorganized, though...wouldn't surprise me if they didn't know themselves and were just hoping they could get something at the last minute. I'll tell you this though, that after the adventure you two had, don't worry too much about seeing everything. There are a lot of small events that you don't need to sign up for, and plenty of things to see and do just by wandering around. Though, if you want my advice, you should definitely enter the Sinnoh tournament, because that sounds like a lot of fun, and you should go to the Pokemon Show. They always sound boring, but there are a ton of really great pokemon there. There are also a few lectures actually.." Amy pulled the pamphlet from Emily's lap and ran her finger down a listing. "Yep, right here. I saw this and knew it was right up your alley: Water-type breeding."

Emily's eyes practically popped out when Amy showed her that, and she immediately whipped out her pokegear and set an alarm for the time and date that was listed. Amy giggled seeing Emily react that way, even though she figured she would have that type of reaction. "Man, this Con sounds like it's going to be great. All kinds of new trainers, all kinds of new Pokemon, and a bunch of other things, too. I'm going to love this." She then looked over at Kiai and prodded him a little. "And I'm sure he'll love it too...whenever he wakes up."

Kiai's only reaction to that was a loud snore. Emily rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Anyway," spoke Amy, "I've already made reservations for you both at the Center. Ash, Misty and myself will be staying at a hotel. They might have a spare room or two, but you'll have to go now if you want it. Otherwise, you'll have to bunk down here."

Emily nodded. "I'll ask Kiai when he wakes up, though he'll probably say he doesn't care either way. I wouldn't blame him, we had an.. interesting trip here."

Amy's eyes widened. "Oh? What happened?"

"I'll tell you.. but you have to promise not to utter this to another soul." Amy's expression turned serious and she nodded. Emily recounted the story of how they met Brianni, and their encounter with the Hunter and the Charizard in a hushed tone. Amy whispered an awed curse when the story was over, and swore to Emily that no one would ever know about it.

"Sounds like it was quite an adventure," Amy spoke and Emily nodded.

"It was pretty crazy." She sat back a little. "So...how have you been? Anything crazy happen with you lately?"

Amy gave her sister a half glare. "When doesn't something crazy happen to me?" Emily giggled a little. "In either case, no, nothing really crazy...not like what you've been experiencing anyway. The Pokemon Association got mad at me for a while for running off and seeing you guys in the hospital, but otherwise, that's been it. They've calmed down, though."

"That's good." Emily looked around, then spoke in a quiet tone. "What about the Ultra Ball?"

"Still nothing...Professor Oak doesn't want to move it out of his lab until he gets it transferred into a Master Ball...and unfortunately, the Pokemon Association is being stingy about letting him import one from Devon Corp. Devon Corp has had no problem with it and is willing to, but the Kanto Association is throwing a fit, demanding to know why Oak needs it and such, and he doesn't want to say. It's a bit of a mess, but knowing Professor Oak, he'll manage to deal with it."

Emily smiled. "He always does." Kiai groaned, and stirred. "Finally, welcome back to the world of the living, sleepy-head."

Kiai looked around. "I had the strangest dream.. we were all in a cave.. there was this elf who looked like Santa Claus and he was about to give us all this plot exposition.."

Amy and Emily exchanged glances. "You have weird dreams." spoke Emily.

Emily heard the familiar "ding" of the doors of the Pokemon Center. She had heard it many times since they had come in, but this time, something attracted her attention to the doorway. The boy entering the room looked to be about the same age as Kiai, and his brown hair was spiked. He wore a white shirt with a black leather jacket over it, along with a pair of black pants while his dark green eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses, which he promptly removed and hung on his shirt upon entering the Center. Emily let out a low growl at the sight of the boy. "Alex..." she spoke softly

Kiai sat up in a quick, fluid motion. His eyes locked upon Alex and didn't leave them. The three of them watched in silence as he marched up to the counter and banged his fist on the bell. A smiling Chansey emerged from the hospital doors and greeted him with a hearty "Chansey!"

"It's about time!" grumbled Alex, loud enough for the whole center to hear, even though the time he spent waiting couldn't even be called "waiting." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a fine suede strip with what appeared to be six pockets attached to it. He tossed them at Chansey and spoke, "Fix these, I'll be back in twenty minutes." Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and began to walk out. He immediately saw Emily, Amy and Kiai in the corner, but his trademark holier-than-thou grin did not show up. Instead, a thick, wrathful growl emanated from his lips. Kiai's icy glare was joined by his voice when he spoke, "What's wrong, Alex? Aren't you happy to see your old friends?"

Alex's eyes flickered toward Amy briefly before he spoke, "Oh, just overjoyed."

"You seem pissier than usual, Alex," said Emily.

Alex turned to her and shot her the same glare. "A recent business proposition of mine fell through, thank you." He added an extra emphasis on the last phrase, though no one could figure out why.

"Well, that's just too bad I suppose," Emily spoke and shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to find someone else to do business with."

"You sure haven't changed at all, Alex," Amy spoke, folding her arms over her chest. "Still just as rude and cruel as the last time I saw you."

"And I'll bet you've only gotten softer," Alex spoke to which Amy gave a low growl.

"Alex," spoke Kiai, "we didn't come here to squabble with insects like you, we came here to have a good time. And unless you want this to turn into a real fight and not one involving Pokemon, then I suggest you scurry along back to whatever hole you crawled out of." Alex stood silent for a moment, clenching is fists tightly. He eyed Kiai up and down, but the trials of the past few weeks had tightened and knotted Kiai's muscles so much that he looked very different than when Alex and his gang picked on him. So much so, that Alex wasn't sure he could win a one-on-one brawl, even if Emily and Amy weren't backing him up.

He took one final appraisal of Kiai and scoffed. "Speaking of crawling into holes, it looks like you crawled out of one." He laughed to himself and strolled out as Kiai looked down at his clothes and, sure enough, they were covered with the dirt and stains of someone who has spent several weeks on the road and, as chance would have it, in one or two holes.

"Ugh...I hate that guy..." Emily spoke.

Amy sighed. "It's a shame he's turned out the way he has..."

"Meh...the kid was probably just born rotten..."

Amy shook her head. "In either case, I wonder what he's been up to..." she turned to the counter. "He obviously hasn't been caring for his Pokemon properly...I can tell that without even having to look at them. Just the way he tossed them aside and walked off...it tells me he has no care at all for his Pokemon..."

Kiai spoke softly. "He cares.. he cares the same way a technician cares for his tools. Because of that, he has the potential to be nigh unstoppable. To him.. pokemon battles are nothing but a game of numbers.. and he's damn good at those numbers. But he will never make it to the top.. because there are too many people out there who do things the right way.. people like Ash who know the rules, but also know how to bend them, and where the rules stop and something else takes over.. something that doesn't follow the rules.." he was silent for a moment, then spoke again, "And yeah.. I do wonder what that business deal was. Anything that he wants badly enough can't be good."

Emily nodded. "Knowing him...it could have been anything...probably something bad, too..." Emily sighed and sat back. The "ding" of the Center doors was heard again and her eyes opened to see who had entered. This time it was another familiar face, but one in which she was glad to see. The young woman who had just entered had relatively short blonde hair in that it only ended at about her shoulders. She wore a teal spaghetti-strap top that showed off her stomach along with a skirt of about the same color that ended at her knees. A pair of flip flops were on her feet, and she had a small pouch around her waist. Emily immediately recognized her as Michelle Maybelle.

Kiai and Emily immediately forgot Alex and broke into a smile. "Michelle!" called Emily, and Michelle, who was wearing a sour look on her face, no surprise given the person who just walked out, immediately broke into a broad smile. In her haste to embrace her friends, she tripped over the couch and tumbled down face-first into the soft cushion. Emily and Kiai helped her upright, and the three of them hugged. "Long time no see," spoke Emily. "Looks like you're doing alright for yourself."

Michelle nodded enthusiastically, and proudly pointed to three shiny badges adorning the pouch around her waist. Kiai grinned, as he noticed one of them was from Cerulean. "You really have improved.. well done, Michelle. I'm proud of you."

Michelle grinned, and blushed a little bit. "Well, I had two good friends who never gave up on me." She smiled, and beamed at them both.

"How is your Charmeleon? Last time we talked you said it wasn't obeying you," Emily spoke and Michelle nodded.

She quickly pulled out a pokeball. "Come on out, CharChar." She dropped the pokeball to the ground, and a fairly large fire lizard appeared. It's skin was firey-red in color, and its underbelly was bright orange. A small flame showed on its tail, one that seemed strong and quite alive. "He's doing a lot better. He still doesn't obey me all of the time, but he obeys me more then he doesn't now." The Charmeleon gave a light roar in an attempt to show off before making several gestures that looked like its attempt at flexing. "He also seems to enjoy flirting...he does that to just about every girl we come across."

"He's got good taste," spoke Kiai, wrapping his arm across Emily's shoulder. He glared down at the Charmeleon, "but she's mine." The Charmeleon returned his glare, then defiantly blew out a puff of smoke at Kiai, then continued to flex. Kiai shot another grin at Michelle. "I like him."

"So, you all ready for the convention?" asked Emily.

Michelle's smile turned into something almost like a panic. "No!" she cried. "There's so much to do, I just know I'm not going to have time for it all! I know I've got to hurry and enter the Sinnoh tournament, but I also want to enter my Seaking in the Show and enter the card tournament and.. and.. oh there are so many clubs to join.. I want to join the Char Club and the offical Pokemon Trainer's club and the Eevee Club and-"

"The what club?" interrupted Emily.

Michelle blinked, then thought for a moment as she recollected her thoughts and what she had said. "The Eevee Club," she spoke after a moment.

"There's an Eevee club?" Emily quickly grabbed the pamphlet from the table and quickly flipped through it until she reached near the end. "Oh...my...GOD!" she shouted. "Kiai! There's an Eevee club!" she shoved the pamphlet in his face out of excitement.

Kiai backed his face away a few inches and rubbed his nose where the pamphlet smashed into it. "Hey, that's great," he spoke, "We'll definitely have to hit that up if we have time." The tone he used was obviously indicating that it was a joke, but the moment his eyes met Emily's, he wished he hadn't.

She was giving him a glare of absolute death, and she spoke between her clenched teeth, "WE. ARE. GOING. FIRST. THING. IN. THE. MORNING."

Kiai backed away a few more inches. "Sure hun... first thing in the morning.."

Michelle and Amy couldn't help but laugh. "You like Eevee, huh?" Michelle asked after she managed to stop laughing.

"Oh my gosh, yes! I don't know why...but when I encounted my first Eevee, it was so cute...and then it evolved into Umbreon, and then I fought an Espeon, and then I actually looked at it in the Pokedex...it's an amazing pokemon, and it's actually really cute, no matter what form it has." She blinked. "Which reminds me...Amy, do you know anything about Pokemon named Maneon or Steamon?"

Amy blinked and put her hand to her chin. "Can't say I've ever heard of them before, why?"

"That Pokemon Hunter I told you about used them on us...said they were the Fighting and Ghost types evolutions of Eevee."

"Fighting and Ghost type evolutions? You better show those to Professor Oak right away, he'll want to see them. If this hunter has discovered ways to evolve Eevee into new forms...this could be both very serious and also very dangerous...who knows what kind of creature they could spawn if they could make an Eevee evolve into other forms like that." Emily nodded in agreement.

"Hunter? What hunter?" spoke Michelle.

Before Emily or Kiai could say anything, Amy spoke on their behalf. "Never you mind. It's an incident involving Team Rocket and after what these two have been through we're keeping everything that happened in the past week good and quiet." Kiai wondered how or even if Amy knew that the Hunter was working for Team Rocket, there was no evidence, but it seemed like a valid theory, but whatever the motivation for Amy's words, they did the trick. Michelle nodded and said no more about it.

"In either case, what I'm really concerned with is whether these are natural evolutions or not. Eevee's DNA could easily allow it to evolve into any type under the right circumstances, but other then the forms it has now, we've never seen any natural occurrences that evolve them. If these are natural, it could be a break through, but if they're unnatural, and were caused specifically by the hunter...then I feel bad for them...I'm certain that a false transformation would only cause the Pokemon pain, no matter whether it could transform like that or not." Amy sighed. "Definitely send them to Professor Oak as soon as you can."

Emily nodded. "I will. I'm curious about it as well."

Amy pulled out her pokegear to check the time. From there, she looked up at the clock nearby. "That's about what I figured..." she stood to her feet. "Ash and company should be arriving soon. You're free to come with me to visit them if you'd like. Your Pokemon are probably ready for you."

"Sounds good." spoke Kiai, and Emily nodded. "Well, you guys have fun. I've got some stuff to take care of." said Michelle, and waved to them as she walked off to the front desk, where she began placing her pokeballs on an empty tray proffered by the attending Chancy. At the same time, Nurse Joy emerged from the hospital doors, carrying two similar trays with six pokeballs in each, and handed them to Emily and Kiai. After thanking Nurse Joy, the three of them left the Center and, led by Amy, headed toward the western bike trails. "There's a clearing there for people with flying types to land, so they don't have to search for an empty spot among the crowds," explained Amy.

It took them a few moments before they arrived at the clearing. There were very few people here, save for those landing on their flying types, and those who were directing the trainers where to land. It was only a few minutes after Emily, Kiai, and Amy arrived before they saw a group of three Pidgeots not far off. As the Pidgeots came in to land, the trainers upon them became clear. Upon one was a young man, at least eighteen, if not older. He wore a black, short-sleeved shirt with a gray short-sleeved jacket over it. The pants he wore were of a similar shade to his jacket, and a pair of brown, fingerless gloves were on his hands. The man had rather short black hair, while his eyes were a deep shade of brown. This was one of the most famous trainers Kanto had ever known. This was Ash Ketchum.

Riding behind him was a young woman, who looked to be no older then twenty or so. She had red-orange hair that came down to her shoulders, and her eyes were a deep green. Her outfit consisted of a pink spaghetti-strap shirt with a white long-sleeved jacket over it that ended at about the middle of her chest and had its sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She also wore a pair of light green short shorts and a pair of pink sandals on her feet. This was Ash's lover and fiancee, Misty Waterflower.

Upon one of the other Pidgeots was a beautiful woman, who looked to be no older then fifteen or so. She had long, dark blue hair that ended at the middle of her back, though she had it pulled up a bit and done into a ponytail that ended at about her shoulders. She wore a rather plain pink, sleeveless top along with a skirt that was white on the top, but then went out and became pink and slightly frilly at the end. She wore a pair of pink boots that came up halfway to her knees, and her eyes were a deep shade of blue. This was Dawn from the Sinnoh Region and the host of this year's Sinnoh Con.

Upon the other Pidgeot was a young woman who looked not much older then Dawn. She had fire-red hair that she kept in a rather short boy cut and was also somewhat spiked. Her eyes were a deep shade of red, and her outfit consisted of a red short-sleeved shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She also wore a pair of blue boots that were about as long as Dawn's, and had a pair of sunglasses currently over her eyes. This was Zoey, Dawn's lover.

The four of them slid off of their mounts; Ash's Pikachu and Dawn's Piplup lept from their respective trainers' laps and landed at their feet. Each pulled a pokeball and recalled the Pidgeots they flew in on. Misty was the first to spot Amy, Emily and Kiai, and she waved to them enthusiastically as Ash watched other trainers landing, though his eyes were more keen on examining their pokemon. As the party approached, Amy offered Dawn a mock salute and spoke, "Hail to the chief!", causing Dawn to blush. "Oh, don't be like that... It's just a convention, it's not like we haven't done this sort of thing before."

"You'd be surprised; we don't fool around with pokemon in Kanto," replied Ash with his trademark smile.

"Sure," spoke Zoey, "but after dealing with you, the entire rest of this continent should be a piece of cake!" They all laughed, and Zoey's eyes met with Kiai's and Emily's. "So, who are your frien-" she stopped short and stared, her mouth and eyes wide open. "You.. you're the ones-" She was silenced by five people desperately hissing "SHHHH!"

"We'd rather not attract any...unwelcome guests..." Ash spoke to Zoey, who nodded in understanding. He then turned back to Kiai and Emily. "Kiai, Emily, these are Dawn and Zoey."

Emily gave a bow. "Hello, I've heard quite a bit about you two."

"You have?" Dawn asked curiously.

Emily rubbed the back of her neck. "Well...not really 'quite a bit'...more like 'a little bit'..."

Zoey chuckled and walked over, patting Emily on the back. "It's all right. You'll have a chance to get to know us a bit better here over the next few days. Our job isn't much actually. We do the opening ceremony and then announce the big tournaments and that's about it."

"We do have to show off some of the Sinnoh things, though," Dawn spoke, "like how contests are done there and some of the Pokemon."

"Yeah, that and the paperwork," said Zoey, to which all but Emily and Kiai rolled their eyes and groaned in sympathetic disgust. "Anyway," continued Zoey, turning her attention again towards Emily and Kiai, "I might have to get your autograph for absolutely no reason in the near future." Emily blushed and Kiai shifted his weight uncomfortably.

Amy once again swooped in: "Zoey, they're already the biggest celebrities in the world. I don't think anyone here wants them to be another display at the convention."

Zoey waved her hand dismissively, though she did sound a bit disappointed, "Fine fine, I'll shut up about it."

The five of them began their trek out of the field, and Kiai spoke up, "Amy, that's a good point. What are Emily and I going to do if we're recognized?"

"I anticipated that," spoke Amy, reaching into her pocket and pulling out two pairs of reading glasses with false lenses. "Put these on, and no one will recognize you."

Kiai took his and examined them. "Isn't that sort of a cheap trick?"

"Yes," replied Amy, "but it saves us from having to re-write three chapters."

"Oh, I know, do you know how much of a pain something like that would be? I mean...people would probably hate that..." Emily spoke and Kiai could only stare dumbfounded at the two. After a moment, however, he regained his composure and slipped the glasses on to which Emily giggled. "Actually, Kiai, you look good with glasses on."

"Do I look intelligent and thoughtful?" spoke Kiai with a grin, straightening his posture and curling his fingers under his chin.

"Yes," replied Amy, "for once, you do." The group had another laugh as they entered Celadon. Always on duty, Amy turned to Dawn and Zoey. "I'll show you two to the main hall, and you can get to work making sure everything is sorted out. I guess there was some confusion higher up, so it seems like no one knows what's going on. I've sorted it out as best I could, but I'd still like some extra eyes and ears to make sure it's all going smoothly."

Dawn nodded, "No need to worry, we'll be ready for tomorrow."

Zoey smiled and ruffled Dawn's hair. "That's my girl." she spoke, to a blushing Dawn.

"I'm going to head down to the hotel and check out our rooms," spoke Ash, "do you all want to meet up later this afternoon for dinner? My treat!" The group nodded enthusiastically as Ash walked away.

"I better follow him before he gets himself involved in a random encounter." spoke Misty, jogging after Ash.

"All right, the main hall is this way," Amy spoke, then turned to Kiai and Emily. "Ahh...they probably won't let you two in..." she rubbed the back of her neck. "Places like this are usually pretty strict on who they let in and who they don't..."

Emily shrugged. "It's fine," she spoke with a nod. "We'll just hang around the Convention and we'll all meet up later."

Amy nodded. "Sounds good to me, just don't go getting yourselves into trouble, you hear?"

"Of course not. We'll steer as far away from trouble as possible. Besides, this chapter is probably long enough anyway...we don't need to make it longer with a fight."

Amy laughed at that comment. "True true." She turned away. "Come on, then, ladies." She then walked off with Dawn and Zoey, leaving Kiai and Emily on their own.

The sudden quietness from the departure of their five companions alerted Kiai to the sound of a group of young trainers approaching from the landing site. "You better put those on," he spoke, motioning to Emily's glasses.

"You're right," she said, and hurriedly pushed them onto her face.

When she did, Kiai smiled at her and spoke, "You're pretty cute with those." She smiled at him, and they continued their walk into the city. They spent the afternoon wandering around the shops and areas being set up, familiarizing themselves with the layout. Emily got an early start at signing up for the Tournament, under an alias of course, and around 7:00 pm they got a call from Ash. The seven of them spent a carefree evening eating and talking and laughing. It was approaching midnight when mature Amy decided to call it quits, and with Dawn's help, they managed to drag Zoey away with them. Kiai and Emily recounted their story about their encounter with the Hunter and the Charizard to Ash and Misty; Ash, upon hearing the tale, insisted that they had stumbled upon some new type of Legendary Charizard, though Kiai was unconvinced. Eventually Misty managed to drag Ash away, cryptically mentioning that it was "their vacation as well," which made Ash blush for some reason.

The two decided then to make their way to their own room. The night passed uneventfully, and as day began to arrive, Dawn and Zoey awoke, readying themselves for what was to come. Dawn pulled her hair up into a very stylish ponytail, then pulled on a rather elegant pink, halter-style dress, while Zoey wore, what seemed to be, a fancy red tuxedo. They made their way out and turned on the screens and lights that were now in the center of Celadon. When the clock struck nine, Zoey and Dawn stepped onto the stage with a smile. "Welcome everyone to the Fifth Annual Kanto Pokemon Association Sinnoh Region Convention!" Dawn announced loudly and confetti was let loose throughout the streets. Sinnoh Con had begun, and what wonders awaited them all were soon to revealed.

* * *

A/N: For those of you readers who have been enjoying this story so far and would like to contribute to this, here is your chance, and it takes **almost no work on your part.** That's right, you can contribute to this story now by reviewing this chapter with your Pokemon character. What we need from you are:

Name:  
Description:  
Pokemon your character has:  
Personality:

Turn in that form above and you just might get a special cameo in the story. Sinnoh Con is going to be full of cameos and we've got a couple of tournaments that will rely on getting cameos from people to complete. So, send us in your cameos and we'll use what we can.

**You are not guaranteed to get in. The amount of cameos we get will determine who gets put in and who doesn't. The better you write out your character, the more likely you will get in.**

Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the story as it continues. Things are going to be building up a bit here in Sinnoh Con, and it will be leading to a pretty nasty ending by the end of Book 3. Don't fear, though, we've got 5 gyms left to compete in, so the end of Book 3 will not be the end of Black Earth. Nope...it'll be far from it -evil laugh-**  
**


	25. The First Day of Sinnoh Con

A/N: Here is a list of the cameos in this chapter:

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness - Miror B. and Area Leader Calus  
Poke Special Manga - Yellow and Emerald  
Pokemon Main Stream Video Games - Brendan  
Yu-Gi-Oh! - Seto Kaiba and Yugi Moto  
Nya-Nannu of Deviantart - Glaceon Girl, Leafeon Girl, and Eevee Girl  
Unknown - Roger the Shrubber, Mr. Roger  
Pokemon Anime - A.J.

* * *

**Chapter 25: The First Day of Sinnoh Con**

"It's finally here, isn't it?" Dawn spoke as she stared at herself in a mirror. Her outfit consisted of a rather fancy pink halter-style dress with a pair of black high heels.

"Yeap," Zoey spoke as she stepped up behind Dawn. She wore a rather fancy looking red tuxedo.

"I'm nervous..." Dawn spoke as she reached up to her hair and began to pull it up into a ponytail.

"Why? You've been on stage in front of millions of people before. Why are you nervous now?"

"Because, this isn't like a regular contest...we're hosting one of the biggest conventions in the Kanto Region...a place I'm not very familiar with...Ow!" Dawn winced as she dropped her hair after having just pulled on it.

Zoey shook her head and took Dawn's hair into her hand, grabbing a small bow off the desk. "You'll be fine, Dawn." She pulled Dawn's hair together and put the bow around it. "In your words: No need to worry. Okay?"

Dawn sighed and nodded. "All right." She turned to Zoey and smiled. "At least I have you with me, right?"

Zoey smirked and nodded. "Of course."

There was then a knock on the door. "You two almost ready?" Ash's voice called from the other side of the door. "You go on in five minutes."

"We'll be right there!" Dawn called out, then stood to her feet. "Well, this is it."

Zoey nodded. "You'll do just fine, promise." Dawn nodded slowly to that, though she was unsure herself. The two then made their way out of the dressing room and out into the Celadon Park where the convention had been set up. They stepped up onto the stage, and Dawn turned to look at the thousands of people, if not more, that had gathered here that day for the Sinnoh Convention. They all waited eagerly for the Opening Ceremony to begin.

Dawn took in a deep breath and steadied herself as Zoey took her hand. The two turned to each other for a single moment to smile at one another before turning back out to the audience. The clock struck nine, and Dawn stepped forward. "Welcome everyone to the Fifth Annual Kanto Pokemon Association Sinnoh Region Convention!" she shouted and at once several small party balloons filled with confetti were burst open. The audience began to cheer. "My name is Dawn, and I am from the Sinnoh Region. I will be serving as your host for this convention this year, along with my girlfriend, Zoey. And, yes, you all did hear that right, she is my girlfriend. Everyone give Zoey a big round of applause."

Dawn made a gesture and Zoey stepped forward, bowing to the crowd. "We hope to make this year's convention a success, just like every convention before it," Zoey spoke. "Dawn and I will be mainly hosting this year's Contest Conference which will be on the Eighth at noon, though we'll also be here to introduce each conference."

"Now then, we would like to introduce to you everyone who you will be meeting over the course of the next five days," Zoey spoke. "First, give a big round of applause to the Shittenou of the Sinnoh League Pokemon Association. First up, we have the head of the Shittenou, Lucian!"

With those words a man dressed in a red suitcoat and pants stepped forward. A black dress shirt was under his suitcoat, and a set of long, pointy glasses rested on his face. His light purple hair was rather long, going down to his shoulders all around his neck, leaving only his face exposed. "Hello everyone!" he spoke with a smirk. "It's wonderful to be here in this lovely Kanto Region. This city in particular is just spectacular on its own. I specialize in the Psychic-type, and there is no other in the entire Sinnoh Region as skilled in Psychic-types as I. I hope you all enjoy this convention. I know I will." Lucian gave a bow and stepped aside.

"Thank you, Lucian," Dawn spoke. "Next up, we have the second in line of the Sinnoh League Shittenou. Everyone welcome Bertha!"

An elderly woman stepped forward, waving at the crowd. Her hair had gone gray with age, but she showed spunk even at her age. She wore a white jacket with a black dress under it, along with a pair of slip-on shoes. "Hello, everyone! I am Bertha of the Shittenou and I specialize in Ground-type Pokemon. I may be elderly, but I'll still give you a good run for your money, similar to your Shittenou Agatha, so don't underestimate me." She gave a bow then stepped aside.

"Well said, Bertha," Dawn spoke then turned. "Now we bring you the third in line in the Sinnoh League Shittenou. Everyone welcome Flint!"

A man dressed in a rather informal bright yellow shirt and black pants stepped forward from the back. He had his red hair up in a rather large afro, while his feet were adorned with only simple black sandals. "Yo, everyone," he spoke with a smile. "Anyone who dares to face me will be burnt to a crisp from my Fire Pokemon, so you better watch out." He winked to the audience and a few of the girls in the audience seemed to instantly melt away. He then stepped aside, standing next to Lucian and sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you, Flint," Zoey spoke. "Last but not least, and certainly not weakest of the Shittenou, we have Aaron!"

A boy with green hair stepped forward, looking not much older then twenty or so. He wore orange pants along with a black shirt that had orange stripes on it in the shape of a bee's nest. "My name's Aaron, and my Bug Pokemon will crush all opposition!" he spoke out before thrusting his hand into the air. "Bug Pokemon rock!"

Several girls in the crowd immediately shouted "Ewwww!" at his statement, while some of the guys cheered. He stepped aside and Zoey continued.

"These are the Shittenou of the Sinnoh League, but of course, what are the Shittenou without a Champion? I give you the Sinnoh League Pokemon Association Champion, Cynthia!" Zoey shouted.

There she was, the Champion of the Sinnoh League. She had long blonde hair that ended almost by her knees, and she wore a black pair of pants along with a black spaghetti-strap shirt. A black cloak was then over that, being closed at only one point on her chest by a silver clip. The arms of her cloak had a ring of black fluff on the ends, and the same fluff was also around the bottom of her cloak as well. "Hello everyone," she spoke with a smile. "I'm happy to be here in the Kanto Region with all of you. This city is full of wonderment and beauty." She stepped aside and Dawn smiled at the five now collected at the side of the stage.

"These are the Shittenou and their Champions and they will be hosting the Sinnoh League Conference on the nineth at noon," Dawn spoke. "So, be sure you're here then if you want a chance to talk to them and maybe even get a chance to battle them."

"Next up, we have Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh Region," Zoey spoke. From the back stepped an elderly man looking to be in his sixties or so. He wore a brown trenchcoat along with a blue vest, black pants, and a white shirt. In his hand was a small brown briefcase which held all manner of notes he had collected, along with three pokeballs. "This man is in charge of giving out the starter Pokemon to the beginning trainers in the Sinnoh Region. He is also a doctor in the field of the Study of Evolution."

"That I am," Rowan spoke. "I have concluded that ninety-percent of Pokemon are, in some way or form, linked to evolution. What we don't understand, however, is what Legendaries are, and why they have no connection to evolution. I seek to remedy that."

"Professor Rowan, you will be giving an Evolution Conference on the Seventh, won't you?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, at noon on the Seventh. I will be showcasing some of my findings, and even demonstrating some of the evolutions we have found."

"Wonderful!" Dawn said with a smile. "Then you all should come out to it," she spoke turning to the audience. "You never know what wonders you'll see. Some of the Sinnoh Evolutions are amazing, and some of them are even Evolutions of Pokemon that exist in this region, too!"

Rowan gave a bow and stepped aside, then Zoey continued. "We would now like to introduce the host of this year's Sinnoh League Tournament," she spoke. "He is the Master of Illusions and Mystery and owns his own personal island that he has turned into a large theme park based around Pokemon known as Poketopia. Everyone welcome Mysterial!"

A cloud of smoke erupted in the center of the stage and a man wearing a purple magician's hat appeared. The man wore a tuxedo composed of a purple suitcoat, black vest and shirt, and a red pair of pants and tie. His shoes were fancy and pointy, and a long purple mustache came off the ends of his face. "Welcome to the show!" Mysterial shouted. "I am the Poketopia Master, Mysterial! I will be showcasing the many different styles of battle in Poketopia from Fortune Battles to Team Battles and so much more! I'll be here tomorrow at noon to show you all of this and I'll even be hosting the Sinnoh Tournament this year. You'll all get a chance to try out the different battle styles in Poketopia as you climb the ranks of the Tournament. The first three places of the tournament will be awarded a prize, and first place will be able to choose between either their reward or the chance to face me. If that person chooses to face me and wins, they will be given an even greater prize. Fail, of course, and it will result in them being awarded nothing. With that I shall bid you all farewell for now." He gave a bow. "Enjoy Sinnoh Con, everyone!" he shouted before his body seemed to vanish into smoke, leaving only his hat behind.

Dawn stepped forward and picked his hat up, lightly tossing it back behind the stage. "You have now met the leaders of the Sinnoh League," she spoke. "We thank everyone for coming out today. Remember, Cynthia will be hosting the Sinnoh Legends Conference at noon today. She will be explaining the legends of Dialga - the God of Time, and Palkia - the God of Space, along with many other legends we have in the Sinnoh Region, so don't miss out!"

Zoey now stepped forward and took Dawn's hand. "And now, without any further ado, let the parade and with it the Fifth Annual Kanto League Pokemon Association Sinnoh Region Convention begin!"

The crowd parted in cheers and applause as the Sinnoh League Band started up a spirited marching tune. They marched down the street past the stage, followed by floats, cars, and all sorts of miscellanea. Among them were Sinnoh gym leaders, who waved at the crowds as they walked beside (or rode on top of) their signature pokemon, several predominant trainers and breeders, both past and present, several important-looking scientists, and even, as Kiai noted with a few long gazes, a very beautiful young woman with a sash across her chest that read, "Ms. Sinnoh".

The crowd had started to disperse at the end of Zoey's and Dawn's introduction, but when the parade was over they addressed the remainder. "Thank you very much for being with us over these next few days," spoke Dawn. "Please check your schedules to see a list of events, wander around as much as you'd like, but most importantly, have fun." She beamed a smile at the warm applause that followed her speech, then her and Zoey walked off the stage.

Emi opened up a schedule and looked it over. "Well, what do we want to hit first?" she asked as she adjusted the glasses on her face before looking up at Kiai. "They've got a lot of shows going on. It says the Pokemon Center is hosting a bunch of breeding sermons right now; the current is about Bug-types. There are also a couple of shows, and a lot of different shops and such."

Kiai looked over her shoulder at the schedule. The false glasses that he, too, had on his nose were terribly irritating, but after last night he realized the only way to live with them is to just accept that they were never going to be comfortable. He wrapped an arm around Emily, placing a finger on the schedule and running his finger down it. "Hmm…I don't have any pokemon of the type that they're breeding today…but we could hit up that trading card tourny. Neither of us have bothered with it, but it might be fun to learn, or at least go and see."

Emily nodded. "Well, the tourny is in an hour at the Gym." She thought for a moment. "Bet that means Erika won't be doing any Gym Battles during the course of the Con." She then looked up. "We could also visit any of the clubs, too. I know I wanted to hit the Eevee club. It looks like they have a tournament running tomorrow. I'd probably want to get signed up now so that I can take part in it tomorrow." She put her hand to her chin. "I wonder if Michelle is going to be in it as well."

"Sounds like a good place to start, then" said Kiai, smiling at Emily. He straightened up and looked around. "I wonder where they're set up…" As he looked, he realized he wasn't the only one wondering that same fact. There were several heads among the crowd, trying to peek around other heads. Some were even holding up pokemon, or being held up by pokemon, to get a better look. Kiai reached around Emily again and flipped down a corner of the convention pamplet that she held. "There's no map. That's odd, usually there is. Oh well, I guess exploration is part of the fun, right?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so." She turned and looked around a bit more. She noticed a few people making their way down a nearby path. "Well, seems like a few people are headed down that way, why don't we head down that path? We know the Main Stage is basically in the center of everything, so we can use that idea to get around easily."

Kiai nodded and they began their walk. He gazed around at a lot of the trees in their area, trying to recall the lay of the land, knowing that they'd have to make up their own maps as they went along. The air was noticeably more full of flying Pokemon than usual. Off in the distance he could even see several that were saddled and tethered; apparently they were giving rides, or were about to. They passed a few knots of trainers, young and old, hovering close to each other and staring at decks of colorful cards. Kiai assumed that those were the Pokemon trading cards mentioned in the schedule.

Emily glanced over at the trainers who were huddled around the cards. She could see that some of them were trading cards, while others had their decks out and were battling. "That looks like fun," she spoke as she stopped to examine the game for a moment. She slowly moved over so she could see the game better. Two particular trainers caught her interest, one a man dressed in a simple blue uniform, almost like a school uniform, while the other was dressed in a black shirt and pants with a blue jacket. The one in the blue jacket had a rather wild hairstyle, and she wondered just how much hairgel it took to keep it standing.

"Haha!" the one in the blue uniform laughed. "Now, my three Charizards will destroy you! Play your last pathetic card!"

The one with the wild hairstyle seemed rather calm. "My grandfather's deck has no pathetic cards, but it does contain this! Mewtwo!" He threw a card down and the man in the blue uniform backed away.

"Mewtwo?" he shouted. "No way!"

"Mewtwo! Psychic!"

"No way!" the man in the blue threw his cards down. "This is impossible..."

Kiai leaned toward the two interesting men and spoke, "Interesting game you gents have there. How do you play it?"

The one with the wild hair looked serenely up at him. "It's simple," he spoke, "just collect the cards that you need to make a deck that feels right, and play the cards that you draw as the situation calls for."

The apparent loser of the round they had just played slammed his fist into the ground. "You're talking out of your ass. You gotta balance statistics and probability. It's a card game, after all!" Kiai nodded enthusiastically.

"Not so. The cards have a heart, and they listen to their master."

"Psh, the heart of the cards?" the one in the uniform spoke, folding his arms over his chest. "That's just nonsense." Kiai nodded enthusiastically again.

"It's true. You should learn that some day."

"Psh. Why bother? I have money."

"Sounds like a fun game," Emily spoke with a smile. "By chance would either of you happen to know where the Eevee Club's booth is?"

"Yeah, it's down that way," the man with the eccentric hair spoke, pointing down a path. "Just take that path down and take a left about three or fourth booths down. You'll see a girl dressed in a Leafeon cosplay. She's the clubs representative."

"Leafeon cosplay, huh?" Emily spoke and turned in the direction the man pointed. "That's so cool! I've got to see that!" She grabbed Kiai's arm tight. "Thanks, bye!" she shouted quickly and took off down the path. She followed the man's instructions and sure enough, they found themselves at a large table with a sign over it that said "Eevee Club". Emily's eyes went wide as she stared in awe at the sight in front of her. There were several small Eevees running around behind the table, each looking as if they had recently hatched.

Dressed in different style cosplays were three people who Emily guessed ran the booth. One was dressed in an ice-blue long sleeved shirt that showed off her stomach along with a pair of pants the same color. A headband was in her hair that had two long Glaceon ears attached to it, though she kept the band hidden in her hair, and a Glaceon-like tail was attached to the back of her pants. A second was dressed in a brown shirt and pants, designed to look like Eevee's fur. She also had a headband with Eevee-like ears and an Eevee tail attached to the seat of her pants. The last, who was actually manning the table, was dressed in a yellowish-green halter dress that had a single strap that went around her neck to hold it up. A hairband in her hair had long Leafeon-like ears, while a long Leafeon-like tail came off the back of her dress. "Kawaii!" Emily spoke with stars in her eyes as she stared at the women and the Eevees.

Kiai took a deep breath. "Oh, here we go." He sat down on the grass next to the table as Emily enthusiastically approached the booth. He was only just beginning to drown out the excited squeals of all the girls around him when a very small Eevee walked up to him and leapt up into his lap. "Oh no…" he spoke, as it mewed up at him and began padding around in a small circle. "Don't…please…anything but that…" It let out a small, utterly adorable yawn. Kiai winced. "No…" and it promptly fell asleep on his lap, trapping him in that spot for what could be hours.

"Aww, it likes you," Emily spoke as she kneeled down and pet the Eevee on Kiai's lap. Kiai groaned.

"So, are you two here to sign up for the tournament?" the Leafeon girl asked.

Emily rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I am...my boyfriend isn't really all that into Eevee..." she bent close to her. "He prefers powerful Pokemon over cute Pokemon."

The Leafeon girl gasped in shock, as if that was the first time she had ever heard of something like that. "That's just crazy. Eevee is the cutest thing in the world."

"I know, right?" Emily pulled out her Luxury Ball. "I even have an Umbreon myself. I named it Shadow."

"That's so totally the cutest name ever for an Umbreon!" This sort of conversation continued on for several minutes after.

Kiai had just resigned to his fate of eternally petting a small fuzzball when a finger poked at his cheek. He looked up to see that it was Michelle. "Michelle!" he exclaimed, though his hand was still on 'auto pet mode'. "Good to see you here. Please don't squeal."

Michelle laughed at Kiai's remark. "Don't worry, I think Emily and those Eevee girls are doing enough squealing for the whole of us." She smiled and pet the Eevee's chin which made it coo lightly. "You're so cute." She looked up at Emily, then quickly stood to her feet, taking a very serious pose. "You!" she shouted and Emily jumped. "You're entering the tournament, aren't you?"

"Hey, Michelle, and yes, I am," Emily spoke with a smile.

A glimmer appeared in Michelle's eyes and she took on an almost insane look on her face. "Very well then, I guess this means only one thing."

Emily tilted her head. "What would that be?"

Michelle pointed very dramatically at Emily. "You and I must compete to the best of our abilities and meet one another in the final match of the tournament!"

Emily rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, that would be great and all, but how do we know we'll be separated enough that we end up in the final? What if we get picked to go against one another in the first round?"

Michelle collapsed to the ground at those words, then grumbled as she slowly stood back up. "Emily...this is an anime fanfiction...as such, that's what you're supposed to say because that's just what people say in animes, and you're also not supposed to think about it!"

Kiai looked up from where he was sitting. "Besides which, the odds of you two meeting in the final round are about a million to one. As it happens, million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten, so I think you're safe."

"Exactly" spoke Michelle.

Emily smiled, "Well, guess I've got a rival now."

Michelle grinned, with an uncharacteristic spark of confidence in her eyes. "I've been working real hard since we last met, and I will win that Eevee, you can be sure of it."

Emily's eyes widened. "An Eevee is the tournament prize?" She snapped her head to the girls behind the table.

The one dressed up as Glaceon nodded. "First place winner gets an Eevee and their choice of Evolution stone," Michelle spoke.

Emily snapped her head back to Michelle. "How did you know?"

Michelle tilted her head and looked at her oddly. "I read about it online," she spoke, "the Sinnoh Eevee Club made a news post about it which was linked to the front page of the Kanto Eevee Club."

Emily's face looked set to burst. "There's a KANTO Eevee Club?" Kiai closed his eyes and calmly continued his petting.

"Well, duh, Eevee is a Kanto Pokemon after all...naturally there would be a club here in Kanto for it."

Emily grumbled and folded her arms over her chest. "Well nobody ever told me..." she spoke and turned back to the club's booth. "So, which evolution stones do you have that the winner will be able to choose from, just the normal three?"

The Glaceon girl shook her head. "Actually, no. We have something from all seven of Eevee's evolutions. The first three are your standard: Fire Stone, Water Stone, and Thunder Stone. But we also have these, which were discovered in the Orre region." She pulled out two small rocks. One looked bright and beautiful, the other seemed dark and rather plain. "One is called a Sun Shard, the other is called a Moon Shard. It is said they can counteract the need for there to be a specific time of day to evolve Eevee. For instance, an Eevee carrying the Sun Shard will evolve into Espeon whether it is day or night. Likewise, an Eevee with the Moon Shard will evolve into Umbreon regardless of time."

The Glaceon girl then put the shards away and pulled out two more shard-like rocks. "And these are shards from Moss Rock and Ice Rock, both from the Sinnoh Region. An Eevee holding these will evolve into Leafeon or Glaceon respectively, or at least that's the hope...no one's ever tried removing pieces of the rocks before...but we guarantee that either your Eevee will evolve, or you can bring it to the nearest Eevee Club in your region and we'll trade your evolution stone for any other of your choice."

"Wow, that's pretty cool actually," Emily spoke with a smile, then turned to Michelle. "All right, Michelle, you're on. I'll do my best to climb the ranks and fight you in the final round of the tournament."

Michelle nodded in response. "If you'll just sign here," the Glaceon girl spoke and handed them a clipboard. "Once you do that, you'll be all signed up. We'll give you a ticket and the tickets will randomly be selected tomorrow and placed into the tournament bracket accordingly. If at any time you wish to withdraw from the tournament, you are free to do so, just let us know. Last year we had a group of people enter but then not show up...so it messed up the tournament. So please, if you're not going to show, let us know ahead of time."

"Well, you've got at least two definites this year." said Michelle with a smile, as she jotted down her name and handed the clipboard to Emily.

"That's for sure," said Emily, writing her name underneath Michelle's.

The Glaceon girl looked down at Kiai. "And you? Are you interested?"

Kiai crained his neck in such a way as to not disturb the snoozing Eevee. "No, not big on Eevee's, but thanks for the offer." The five girls gave each other a "silly boys" glance and sighed in unison.

"I can't wait for the tournament," Emily spoke and turned to Kiai. "Well, I'm all signed up, so we just have to wait until tomorrow for the tournament."

"I can't wait, it's going to be awesome," Michelle spoke, then blinked as she turned. A strange sound, almost like disco music was coming from not too far away and it seemed to be getting closer. "What's that?" she asked and Emily turned in the direction Michelle had turned. It was there she saw a rather strange man. He wore a purple disco suit, and his hair was pulled up into a massive afro with one side of it being colored white, while the other side was colored red. Michelle noted that the disco man seemed to be doing the Moonwalk as he was making his way in their direction. At his side where two others. One was dressed in a blue shirt and jeans and had a mohawk on his head. The other wore a blue long-sleeved shirt with an orange jacket and khaki pants. His hair was covered by a strange hat that almost looked as if it had Mickey Mouse ears, but not quite, and he held a large boombox on his shoulder, which Michelle figured was the source of the disco music. All three of them each wore a different set of sunglasses as well.

"Eh, boss, you might want to look where you're going," the one in the jacket spoke, but it was too late. The afro man bumped, back first, into Emily, which made the man jump.

"Whoa!" he shouted and growled, whirling around. "Stop the music!" He stared hard at Emily. "Did you just throw off my rhythm?"

Emily blinked and gave the man a quizzitive look. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You ran into me."

"She threw off my rhythm!" the afro man shouted and pointed at her. "You boys know what this means?" he asked as he turned to his lackeys. The two of them nodded in response. "I am Miror B, and nobody throws off my rhythm." He pulled out two pokeballs. "You and me are going to battle right here and right now, little missy."

"What the hell? If you had been watching where you were going-"

"SILENCE!" Miror B shouted. "Pull out your pokemon! This will be a dual battle!"

Emily sighed and shook her head. "You know what? Fine...I don't care..." She drew two of her pokeballs. "Shadow, Goldy, let's do this." She threw her pokeballs forward, releasing her Golduck and Umbreon.

Miror B smirked. "Let the music start!" he shouted and the man in the jacket flipped the boombox back on. At once, Miror B began to swirl with the music, then tossed his pokeballs forward, releasing two green Pokemon that looked like they were wearing Sombreros.

"Ludicolo, the carefree Pokemon," Emily's Pokedex responded. "If it hears festive music, all its muscles fill with energy. It can't help breaking out into a dance." Sure enough, as soon as the Ludicolo picked up on the music, they began to dance in rhythm with it.

Kiai's interest was finally piqued. He lovingly placed two fingers over the ears of the Eevee in his lap to drown out the music, and quietly noted to himself how Ludicolo, responding to music, is likely to get a power boost just as Psyduck gets one from having a headache. He figured Emily would pick up on this, and said nothing. "Alright cats," said Miror B, striking a pose and rocking his hips back and forth in time with the music. "Let *uh* get this party started with *uh* Mega Drain."

Both Ludicolo's waved their arms in rhythm with the music and Shadow and Goldy both felt energy being absorbed from them. "Shadow, Bite!" Emily shouted and Shadow rushed forward, quickly biting down hard on the Ludicolo making it howl in pain, this made Miror B jump a little, but he quickly stepped back into his rhythm. "Goldy, give it a Water Pulse!" Goldy pulled its arms to its side and a ball of water formed between its hands. It then threw the ball forward, striking one of the Ludicolo hard. However, it seemed mostly unaffected by the attack. Emily pulled her pokedex out once more and scanned Ludicolo's data quickly. "Great...it's almost completely immune to Water-type moves because it's a Water-Grass type..." She sighed. "However...Goldy, use Psychic!" Goldy's eyes began to glow and the Ludicolo that it had attacked a moment ago with its Water Pulse was quickly struck with a powerful psychic blast. However, even that seemed to do very little. "These things must be pretty strong..."

The music changed its beat, becoming faster and harder and, obviously, louder. Miror B pointed a long, slender finger at Emily, still shaking his hips. His two comrades clapped in unison and struck a pose, now getting into the dance themselves. "Strong enough to *uh uh* take you down girly." The beat hit its crescendo and leveled off, and all five of them began dancing in unison. Miror B spoke in time with the music, "Show 'em what we got, Return attack this little snot. Uh!" In perfect harmony, the two Ludicolo leapt at their respective targets with raised fists and a nasty look in their eyes.

"Dodge it!" Emily shouted and Shadow barely managed to avoid the attack by rush to the side. Goldy, however, was struck hard, knocking it back and causing it to roll a bit. "Goldy! Are you okay?"

"Golduck," Goldy spoke, quickly standing to its feet.

Emily nodded. "All right, he wants to play that way? Let's give him a taste of his own medicine. Goldy, Shadow, use Return!" Shadow's gold rings seemed to glow brightly as she dashed forward rather quickly. Before the Ludicolo could react, it was sent flying sky high, slamming into the ground a few feet away.

"What? No!" Miror B shouted with horror on his face. Goldy as well rushed forward slamming its palm into the other Ludicolo, sending it tumbling backwards. "No way!" Miror B shouted in horror as he noticed his Ludicolo had been wiped out. "Good show, girly, good show." He returned his pokemon, then drew another pokeball. "I'll only need this one to wipe you out, though." He tossed his third pokeball forth and from it came a strange creature. It looked like a head carved out of rock with a rather large red nose. Two arms were on its sides, both of which were short and stubby, while its feet were the same. The moment it caught the beat of the music, its arms began to shift as it began dancing.

"Another dancing Pokemon?" Emily pointed her pokedex forward.

"Nosepass, the Compass Pokemon, the Pokedex responded. "Its nose is a magnet. As a result, this Pokémon always keeps its face pointing north."

"Always faces north, huh? Interesting..." She looked up at it and Miror B smirked.

"Nosepass, give it a Shadow Wave," he spoke in rhythm with the music and Nosepass's eyes began to glow. Its body erupted in a dark aura which then shot out in a wave of darkness.

"What the hell?" was all Emily could say before the attack struck both Shadow and Goldy, sending them flying back and wiping them out in a single shot. "That's no ordinary Pokemon..." she spoke as she called her Pokemon back, then drew two more Pokeballs. "Steameon! Maneon! Let's do this!" she shouted, unleashing her two newest additions to her team.

There was a colossal squeal of interest from the Eevee booth as Steameon and Maneon emerged, but was quickly drowned out as Miror B began another annoying song, "Not ordinary is right, *uh* we got powah dark as night, *oh* girly gonna lose this fight, *ah* gonna knock you outta sight. Shadow Chill." Nosepass raised its stubby arm-like appendages to its nose and made a motion as if it was sneezing, but instead a blast of ice heavily laced with swirls of midnight blackness shot out at Maneon.

"Watch out!" Emily shouted and Maneon quickly jumped to the side, barely avoiding the attack. "I don't like this thing at all..." she spoke and gave a low growl. "All right, Maneon, give it an Aura Sphere!" Maneon opened its mouth and an orb of blue energy appeared. The orb shot forward and Nosepass took the attack hard. "Now Steamon, use Shadow Ball!" Steameon opened its mouth and unleashed a blast of darkness that quickly knocked the Nosepass back.

"Nosepass!" Miror B shouted in horror, but he then realized his horror was not needed as the creature slowly stood back to its feet.

"That thing took both attacks full force and it barely seems to have done anything..." Emily spoke, biting her lip hard.

Miror B laughed. "Give them a Shadow Wave again!" he shouted and the dark aura erupted around the Nosepass once again.

"Watch out!" Emily shouted and the wave of darkness shot forward. Both Steameon and Maneon took the blast full force, barely being able to withstand the wave of darkness. "Are you two all right?" Emily asked and her Pokemon nodded. "All right, let's wipe that thing out before it attacks again. Maneon, use Seismic Toss!" Maneon rushed forward and quickly flung Nosepass into the air. It launched itself from the ground, then slammed its paw against the Nosepass, sending it hurling into the ground hard.

"Nosepass!" Miror B shouted in horror once more, and this time, Nosepass showed no signs of moving.

"Did...we get it?" Emily asked as she stared at the Nosepass.

Nosepass very slowly crawled out of the small crater it was left in. It seemed to be on its last legs. Without word from Miror B, it switched to its defensive mode. A low hum filled the air as the magnetic field around Nosepass grew in intensity. At first nothing happened, then all of a sudden the boombox flew from the ground at Nosepass and stuck to him. Several bits of gaudy jewelry worn by Miror B and his compatriots stretched away from their bodies and flew off, also connecting to Nosepass. Miror B screeched in horror as he dashed toward his boom box and tried desperately to dislodge it. Several eyebrows were raised.

Miror B gave a low growl then pulled out his pokeball and slammed it against Nosepass, forcing it to return. His lackeys quickly gathered up his boom box and jewelry and Miror B turned to Emily. "You...you threw off my rhythm, and now I just can't get it back!" He turned to his lackeys. "Let's make a full retreat!" His lackeys nodded and Miror B turned back to Emily one last time. "I'll keep this in mind! When next we meet, you won't be so lucky." He turned and rushed off, his lackeys following behind.

Emily scratched the back of her neck. "That guy was weird..." she spoke before holding up her pokeballs. "Maneon, Steameon, return!" The two pokemon were zapped back into her pokeballs, and she re-attached them to her belt.

"Where did you find those?" the Glaceon girl asked from behind the booth and Emily turned.

"Well...I'm not really sure..." she scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Some trainer left them behind...I'm not quite sure how they evolved into these..."

The Leafeon girl gave a sigh of happiness. "A nice strong fighting-type Eevee like that would be so nice to have," she spoke.

"What was the other one?" the Glaceon girl asked.

"Steameon? It's a ghost-type," Emily responded.

"Ghost and Fighting type Eeveelutions..." the Leafeon girl spoke, "wonder what else it can turn into. Maybe it can become a big strong Dragon-type!"

"Or a Flying-type!" the Glaceon girl spoke.

"I'd love a Steel-type," Michelle spoke, then all three gave a sigh. "Eevee is so amazing."

Kiai had watched Miror B run for a few moments until he was lost from sight. "That was an interesting pokemon," he spoke a moment later, "very unlike anything I've ever seen. Has anyone ever heard of anything like that?" He turned to the girls and looked up at them. Their silent expressions gave him more than enough information than he was looking for. "Yeah," he continued, casually changing the topic, "I'd so love a Bug-type Eevee." This was met with several high-pitched "EEWWWW!"s, though at that point, he didn't mind.

"Bug Pokemon totally creep me out!" Emily and Michelle shouted in unison. This made the two of them laugh a little when they realized it. It was at that moment that the Eevee on Kiai's lap perked up. It sniffed the air a moment before its eyes began to shine with excitement. In an instant, it ran off, leaving everyone but the girls behind the booth left to stare. "It's time for us to feed the Eevee," the Leafeon girl spoke with a smile. "That particular one is always ecstatic about food and is always the first to the food bowls."

"Well, Kiai's lap is free now at least," Emily spoke with a smirk. Just for fun, she plopped down on his lap and nuzzled against him. "Yeap, I can see why Eevee would love to sit right here."

Kiai closed his eyes painfully and obediently wrapped his arms around Emily, continuing to pet her just like he did the Eevee. A harmony of "Awww!"s emanated from the girls, with an additional "That's so cute!". Several bits of manhood broke off from Kiai and floated ruefully away.

Emily giggled before standing to her feet, then grabbing Kiai's hand and helping him up. "Well, we should get moving on," she spoke. "We've seen about everything there is to see at this booth, and there's still a lot more to see, too." She turned to the Eevee girls and waved. "I'll see you all tomorrow at the tournament."

The Leafeon girl bowed. "Have fun with the rest of the convention. There's a lot of other fun booths to check out."

Emily nodded then pulled out her pokegear. "Hmm...it's almost eleven."

"Almost eleven? Oh my gosh!" Michelle shrieked. "I've got to hurry to the Pokemon Center! They're doing a Dark-type Breeding sermon, and I want to learn how to properly raise this Poochyena I got off a trainer yesterday..."

After walking a few paces to stretch his legs, Kiai turned to Emily. "I'd like to check out that legends conference, but if that starts at noon we've only got an hour…and it looked like it was going to last a while. You want to grab a bite before we go?"

Emily nodded. "That would probably be a good idea." She opened the schedule. "It looks like their pushing the main conferences, because the other places don't have anything going on during them. So a good majority of the convention will probably be there. So, yeah, grabbing food now would probably be a good idea." She looked around for a moment. "Looks like the food vendors are over there." She pointed to where there seemed to be a line of booths, all with food-related signs upon them. "I could go for some tacos right now, actually."

"You can always find fried dough at these types of things," spoke Kiai as they started down the path. He looked around a bit to make sure they were as out of earshot as they were going to get and he whispered to Emily, "Michelle recognized us. Granted she grew up with us, but maybe we should opt for fake noses as well as these glasses, eh? Maybe some fake eyebrows as well? Big, thick caterpillar eyebrows?" He playfully nudged Emily with his elbow.

Emily scowled at Kiai. "Well, we've been fine so far, other then Michelle. Nobody else has noticed who we are, and Amy did seem pretty confident these glasses would be enough to hide our identities." She shrugged. "Speaking of Amy...umm..." she turned a bit red and looked away from Kiai. "Did you notice anything different about her yesterday? Like...body-wise?"

"What do you mean?" Kiai asked a little dumbfounded.

"Well...I don't know why...but...I don't recall her boobs being as big as they were yesterday..."

Kiai blushed slightly. He hated being in these positions, but he knew the only way out was to just be honest. "Well I can't say I noticed a difference, but they were fairly…ample. Not that I don't like yours, of course. Yours are fantastic."

Emily blushed deeper and nodded. "I...I don't really know why I noticed...I was just thinking about it last night...I remember our lives when we were younger...I was always jealous of her because she developed faster and bigger than I did...of course, we are a few years apart in age...but still..."

Kiai gave Emily a long sideways glance. After some thought he decided to test the waters. "It might have been just the clothes she was wearing," he said, sounding nonchalant, "but her waist and hips had a nice curve to them." He gave Emily another glance, then added, as he watched her expression carefully, "Maybe she put on a bit of weight, and that filled her body out?"

Emily looked as if she was heavy in thought. After a moment, she sighed and shrugged. "I don't know...maybe I'll just ask her when I see her next...we'll probably run into her, Ash, and Misty after the Con closes tonight. I wouldn't be surprised." She folded her arms and looked up. "I'm also a bit curious about her relational status...I mean...does she have a boyfriend? Or maybe even a girlfriend? Is she single? She's always been one to put her Pokemon training before boys...so the latter is actually very possible..."

"Busy girl like that, I seriously doubt she's in a relationship. Besides which, she's a celebrity. If she was seeing someone, she wouldn't be able to keep it quiet." Their walk had slowed somewhat, so they were still a distance to the food vendors, who were starting to form some longish lines, due to it being just after 11 and a conference in less than an hour. Apparently getting an early lunch wasn't just Kiai's idea.

Emily nodded. "That's true. I'm also sure Amy would have said something if she was in a relationship." She looked forward at the food vendors, then looked them each over now that they had a clear view of the signs and what they were. "Crazy Tacos...I bet they serve tacos," Emily said without even realizing what she had said.

"Yeah, they probably do." said Kiai, slapping her playfully on the back. "And what an observant person you are to notice that." he added.

Emily scowled at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I said something retarded. Let's just go get some food." It took them a few minutes of standing in line before the two of them had gotten to the vendors and bought some food. From there, they made their way to a table and they sat down. Emily reached into her purse and pulled out some Pokemon food and set it into a couple of bowls which she then sat on the ground. She then released her Pokemon, who happily sat down by the bowls and ate. "So, we'll probably want to hit the conference next, what about after that?"

Kiai picked a piece off of his fried dough and nommed it. "Hmm…" He reached into Emily's pocket, ignoring her protest, and pulled out the schedule. Tracing his finger down the first day, his eyes immediately caught sight of what was going on at the gym. "Hey, how about that…they're opening up the gym for a free for all…that might be interesting…"

Emily thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, that might be interesting. We'll have to check it out. Maybe we'll compete a bit." She took a bite of her taco, then looked to her Pokemon. "Well, even after that battle, Shadow and Goldy aren't too badly hurt it looks like. They've more or less managed to recover from it. I still can't help but wonder what that thing was..." She opened her pokedex and looked up Nosepass. "There's nothing in here about Nosepass being able to use any of those moves it knew..."

Kiai's face turned grim as he stuffed another piece of fried dough in his mouth. "Something was up with that. No pokemon gets that powerful just by training... and that guy clearly was not a serious trainer." He stopped his words there, though his brain continued, and the expression on his face made it clear that he didn't like the circumstances behind that battle.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, there was definitely something very strange about that guy and his Pokemon. His Ludicolo weren't very strong, but that Nosepass...there was definitely something unnatural about it...I just wish I knew what...I wonder if Professor Oak would know...but even if he does...how would we explain the experience to him? It looked normal...but that power it had was something else..."

"Those attacks.. those were different, they all started with Shadow.." thought Kiai. "Maybe that has something to do with it?"

Emily nodded. "It is possible." She looked down at her Pokemon. "Still...something like that...my Pokemon aren't the strongest...but we still almost got wiped out in one shot..."

Kiai shrugged as he continued to pick apart his fried dough. "Worth a shot to ask…the worst case is he doesn't know. Actually...worse case would be he does know…and it's not good..."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, I just hope it's not another Team Rocket thing...I mean..." she looked around for a moment before continuing. "We may have basically wiped them out, but as Amy said, who knows how deep their influence is..." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking up at the sky. "Oh well, we'll have to contact Professor Oak about it tonight, maybe talk to Ash and Amy about it as well." She took a bite of her taco then looked out to the convention. People were getting up from their tables and she pulled out her pokegear and looked at it. "Almost noon," she spoke, then looked up at Kiai. "We should be heading to the Main Stage here in a few minutes."

They didn't need to follow a map or ask directions this time around, as nearly everyone was pausing what they were doing and heading toward the stage. They followed the growing crowd of people until they got right back to where they started, in front of the main stage. A few people were mulling about on the stage, and there seemed to be some discussion going on. From their faces, they weren't happy about something.

"Hey, it's Dawn and Zoey," Emily spoke as she pointed out the two on the stage. "That girl...Zoey introduced her as Cynthia, didn't she?" she asked, noting the girl standing next to them. The three of them were having what seemed to be a heated discussion with two others on the stage.

"I can't believe this!" Cynthia shouted and folded her arms over her chest. "How do you expect me to run a Conference with nothing to show?"

"Well...you see...umm..." one of the men began but Cynthia just brushed him off.

"Forget it, I'll think of something..." she turned to Zoey and Dawn. "I'll be a few more minutes then we expected I guess...I have to find something to show...I can't go explaining all of this without having something to show..." She stepped backstage and Dawn sighed.

After a moment, Dawn stepped forward and grabbed a microphone. "Hello, everyone," she spoke. "I'm sorry to say this, but the Sinnoh Legends Conference will be delayed for about ten minutes. We're having some technical difficulties..."

Kiai cupped his hands to his mouth. "Don't give up!" he called with a smile, and pumped his fist in a casual cheer. Dawn looked down from the stage at him and gave him a half-hearted smile, then turned and walked back in what one might call a huff to Cynthia and Zoey. She passed a few short words to them and they hurried off the stage.

"Man...Amy wasn't kidding when she said that it seemed like no one knew what was going on with this convention..." Emily pulled out the pamphlet. "There's no map to this place like there should have been, nobody knows what the Sinnoh Tournament prize is because no one had it until this morning, and now Cynthia's presentation is going to be late because something's gone wrong...I wonder what else could go wrong in this convention..."

"And it's only day one," Kiai pointed out. The murmuring that was slowly rising up from the crowd seemed to reflect the disappointment. "They're losing them…" Kiai muttered to no one in particular, as his eyes surveyed the multitudes. "Emily…y'think…maybe we should entertain the crowd a bit?"

Emily blinked. "Entertain the crowd? I'd be fine with that...but how? I mean, I suppose we could take our glasses off and hop up on the stage...but I think that would cause a bit of a ruckus..."

"Nah.. obviously we can't do that.. .but we gotta do something, they're our friends…they worked so hard for this…" Kiai bit his thumb, his shoulders tense as he tried to think of what to do.

Emily turned back up to look at the stage when she noticed someone moving rather quickly through the crowd. It didn't take long before the person jumped up on stage, revealing herself to be Michelle. She turned, looking back at the crowd with a rather determined look on her face. "So you're all just going to leave?" she spoke as she grabbed a microphone off a nearby stand. The crowd turned back to look at her. "Just because one person had a technical difficulty that was out of their control, you're all going to leave?"

"Why shouldn't we?" one of the members of the crowd spoke up. "They should have been prepared."

"I'll agree with you, but even the most prepared people can have technical difficulties. I used to be in the school plays, and I can't tell you how many times we had to wait to go on because of some technical difficulty that showed itself five minutes before show time." Michelle gave a sigh. "If it's such a problem, then I'll fill the space for them." She turned to Dawn and Zoey, then pulled a CD from her pack. "Can you play this for me?" Dawn nodded and took the CD, rushing off to the sound booth. Michelle turned back. "Again, I used to be in my school's plays when I was younger, and I loved singing. So please, for a few minutes, stick around. I'll sing, and then they should be ready. If not, then just...stick around...they put a lot of work into this Convention...it's not right to just blow them off for one small problem that was out of their control."

Michelle closed her eyes as music began to play over the speakers. Michelle then began to sing, and it seemed a good portion of the crowd was struck by how well this young woman sang. Emily smiled, remembering the plays she and Michelle had been in. She was always one of the singers, while Emily had always been in the background. She didn't really like acting herself, but Michelle was different, she enjoyed the stage and Emily was always there to cheer her on.

The whole crowd watched spellbound as Michelle's words lifted and soared above their heads. Emily seemed to be enjoying an old memory, but for Kiai, who had never been to the Pallet Town public schools, the words were like that of an angel. Even Zoey and Dawn, who were supposed to be setting things up, were caught for a moment and listened intently. The words rang out so clear that even the Pidgies stopped their songs to listen. When the final note was carried away, there was a deafening pause as the onlookers struggled to find their feet on the world once more, and then it was Michelle's turn to be floored as the lot of them erupted in thunderous applause.

"That was amazing!" Dawn spoke as she stepped up next to Michelle.

"She's not kidding," Zoey spoke as she stepped up to her as well. "You have a very beautiful voice." This made Michelle turn a rather deep shade of red.

Luckily for her, though, Cynthia stepped in from the back only a moment later with a smile on her face. "Thank you," she spoke very serenely. "I was worried we'd lose the crowd, but you helped us out tremendously." She looked at Dawn and Zoey with a look that seemed to state she was ready and Dawn and Zoey nodded.

"All right, everyone, we thank you for your patience, and for the wonderful music presented to us by this lovely young lady," Dawn spoke as she grabbed a microphone off the stand. "What was your name?"

"Michelle Maybelle."

"All right, everyone give Michelle Maybelle one last round of applause as she steps off the stage." The crowd erupted once more into thunderous applause and Michelle covered her face with her hands to hide her blushing. She really didn't believe she was this good at all, but she seemed to have surprised everyone. With that, she then stepped off the stage, rejoining the group. "Welcome to the first conference here at the Fifth Annual Kanto Pokemon Association Sinnoh Region Convention...man that's a mouthful to say everytime..."

"You could just say Sinnoh Con like everyone else," Zoey spoke as she stepped up to Dawn, nudging her lightly.

"But that's not its actual name."

Zoey shrugged. "Hey, that's what everyone calls it, and the people in charge never said you couldn't just use that name."

Dawn sighed. "Well, it would be less of a mouthful..." She looked back up. "Anyway, Zoey and I are here to once again introduce the Sinnoh League Champion. She will be retelling some of the different legends of the Sinnoh Region. Everyone give a big round of applause for Cynthia!"

Dawn and Zoey stepped aside as Cynthia stepped forward and took the stage. "Hello, everyone," she spoke with a bow. "Since Dawn already told you what I'm here for, we might as well get right into it..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I must apologize, however, as you know, we hit a bit of a snag. The CD I had that held the pictures of the statues and stained glass windows that tell these legends I will be telling you was lost, as such, I had to find some other images. So, this won't be as spectacular as I had expected it to be...However, I did manage to find some rough drawings of what I needed, so there will still be images for you to see, but they won't be what I was supposed to showcase." Cynthia pulled out a small remote and pushed a button upon it, causing the screen above her to switch, showing nothing but black.

"In the time before time, there was nothing in our universe but the void," Cynthia began. "It was at the beginning of time itself when a small egg appeared in the center of the void." She pushed a button on the remote in her hand once more and a drawing of a small egg appeared in the center of the screen. "It is said that the void attempted to consume the egg, but that the egg burst open and a thousand arms reached out into the void, forcing it back." She pushed the remote again, switching to an image of a circle of light now expanding out of the egg, each ray of light looking like an arm of some form.

"It is said that, from this, the Original One appeared." Cynthia pushed a button on the remote and an image of a large creature appeared on the screen. It had four legs, which it looked like it stood upon, and around its waist was a golden band which went out into two semi-circles around its body. It seemed to have a mask of sorts over its face. "This creature, the Original One, has come to be known as Arceus. It is said that Arceus then poured his life out and created two beings. One was called Palkia, and the other Dialga." She pushed another button and the screen switched once more. It now showed two creatures upon it. One stood on all fours and had a fin-like piece sticking out its backside, though it had a tail as well. Its head was long, extending out like it was wearing a long helmet on its head. A large chestpiece covered the front of it as well, encasing a rather large gem in the center. This was Dialga.

The second stood on its rather large hind legs. Its arms seemed almost mechanical in nature, and on the shoulders of each arm was a large gem as well. It's neck was rather long and extended out to what seemed to be a mask that covered its face like both Dialga and Arceus had. Two large wings were on its back as well. This was Palkia. "To these two creatures Arceus gave the abilities of Time and Space. Dialga would therefore create and govern time, while Palkia would create and govern Space."

"It was from this that the universe was first formed, and it is said that Arceus created another universe, a mirror of this world, and gave it a governor as well. This governor is known as Giratina." Cynthia pushed a button switching the image on the screen to a large worm-like creature with massive wings. A mask seemed to cover its face as well, and several small spikes seemed to expand out from its body. "The point of this world was to maintain the balance of our world. Should something become corrupt in our world, this Reverse World would change as well to create a balance, thus preventing our world from being destroyed by corruption."

"Arceus, realizing he now needed a purpose for our universe, created from himself three beings. One who would give knowledge to the universe, one who would give willpower, and one who would give emotion. These were Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit." Cynthia switched the image to an image of three small creatures, each having long tails and looking relatively the same. The only difference was their heads. Uxie had a large, saucer-like head, while Mesprit's head had four long ear-like parts hanging off of its head. Azelf on the other hand had a very pointed head.

"From here Arceus created everything, slowly creating many different creatures to aid in the task of creation. Finally, when the world existed, and all seemed right, Arceus created man and left the world to him. However, he noticed man was not happy in this world alone, and so he created another being, one that he would give the task of creating more creatures. This creature is what we know today as Mew."

Cynthia changed the image once more, showing a small cat-like creature with a tail about as long as its body. "It is said that, from Mew, all Pokemon were created, including more of its own kind. It is said that, at one time, a great war then erupted in the world, one seeking to claim the powers of Mew. To end the war, the Mew sacrificed themselves, becoming a lesser creature, and retaining only a single one of their abilities; the ability to transform."

"Wait, Cynthia, do you mean to say you believe Mew became Ditto?" Dawn asked when she noticed there was a moment of silence in Cynthia's speech.

"Yes," Cynthia responded, turning to Dawn. "Legend dictates there were hundreds upon thousands of Mew once in history, and after the war, there were none. Also, Ditto is the only Pokemon at current that is known to be able to transform like it can. Its DNA holds the genetic code of every Pokemon in existence, and according to research on Mew fossils, the same is true about them. I do not believe this is a coincidence."

"That's amazing, I've never heard of that part before," Dawn spoke in awe. "I mean, I've heard the story of the Original One, but the idea of Mew becoming Ditto."

Zoey patted Dawn on the shoulder. "Well, you learn something new every day, right?" she asked, which got a nod from Dawn.

"You have more to tell, right?"

"Of course, I still have one other legend to tell," Cynthia pushed a button on her remote, switching to an image of Arceus, this time surrounded by sixteen small rectangles. "This next legend is the Legend of Michina. The Land of Michina has always been a thriving land, but there was a time when it was not. Long ago, a meteor was threatening our world, and the Pokemon sensed this. They managed to alert a man named Damos and warn him of what was coming."

Cynthia switched the image to show a picture of a meteor flying through the sky, Arceus could be seen at the bottom of the image. "Damos called out to Arceus to save the world, fearing the meteor would destroy them. Arceus heard his cry and appeared in time to stop the meteor. However, it was not without a grave consequence."

Cynthia changed the image once more, showing Arceus now lying on the ground, appearing half-dead. A man was standing over his body holding a rather large, rectangular object. "The meteor badly injured Arceus, and brought him near death. However, Damos discovered that Arceus carried with him sixteen Life Plates, one for each element. With each plate, he was resistant to everything, but if those plates were removed, he would be easily destroyed. The meteor had knocked the plates out of Arceus, leaving him with very little power of his own and causing him to almost be destroyed in saving the land. Damos, however, returned the plates to Arceus and revitalized him."

Cynthia changed the image once more, showing Arceus giving the man an orb. "As thanks, Arceus took five of his plates and combined them into the Jewel of Life so that Damos could revitalize his land which had almost been destroyed by the meteor. He then appointed a time when Damos would return the Jewel to him. However...Damos betrayed Arceus."

Cynthia changed the image, showing Arceus being attacked by several different Pokemon all at once. "Arceus was enraged by this and swore vengeance upon the world. However, a boy carrying an electric Pokemon appeared as if from nowhere and revealed the terrible truth. Damos was but a pawn and instead, someone else had taken control of Damos' mind and used him to betray Arceus."

Cynthia changed the image one last time, showing the man reaching out for Arceus. "The boy freed Damos from the man's mind control and Damos returned the Jewel of Life to Arceus. None know of what happened to the man who tried to prevent the return of the Jewel of Life, but what we do know is a terrible fate was avoided on that day."

"I remember that one," Dawn spoke when she again noticed Cynthia pause, stating the legend she was telling was finished. "Ash, Brock, and I were in Michina and we were told the same legend."

"Wait, you got to actually go to Michina?" Zoey asked, sounding rather jealous.

"Yeah, it's an amazing place...and the legend was so amazing..."

"I'm jealous…I've never been there myself…" Zoey shrugged it off after that then turned back to Cynthia. "Do you have anything else for us, Cynthia?"

"No, no others that I have imagery for," Cynthia said with a solemn nod. "There are many legends of the Sinnoh Region, but if I was to tell all of them, especially without proper imagery, we would be here for years. Besides, they'd probably all die of boredom." Cynthia rubbed the back of her neck as she stated that.

"Very true, Cynthia," Dawn spoke with a giggle. "If anyone wants to know more legends of the Sinnoh Region, you're all free to take a look around the Main Stage here. Once we're off-stage some of the stage hands will be bringing out different plaques. There is a different legend on each one of them."

"Everyone enjoy the rest of today, and don't forget to register for tomorrow's tournament!" Zoey called out. "Mysterial says that if you don't have your Battle Pass by the end of the Poketopia Conference, you will not be allowed to enter the tournament!"

"Enjoy the Convention everyone!" Dawn shouted out before her, Cynthia, and Zoey stepped backstage.

After the applause died down and the murmuring picked up, Kiai turned to Emily. "Hey, you know, that Poketopia thing is tomorrow. We better go get registered, you know, beat the crowd."

"Don't bother, the crowd will beat you." said a familiar but altogether unfriendly voice.

Kiai took one of his standard deep breaths and turned around. "Hi Alex." he spoke. Alex, uncharacteristically, did not have his smug, over-confident grin plastered across his face. Instead, he appeared genuinely pissed off, and more than a little bit disheveled. His face was gaunt and fierce. Rather than being curious at the change, Kiai was simply delighted. "Wow what happened," Kiai casually asked, "did you crawl into bed with a horny Primeape?"

Alex balled his fist, ready to strike at Kiai, but he made no move. "You watch your mouth," he scowled, "you'll get yours in time."

"What're you talking about, Alex? We all know you're a prick but this is special, even for you."

"You wanna know the truth, asswipe? You cost me a damn good job. I would have been set for life if it weren't for you."

"…Cost you a job…what the hell are you talking about?"

Alex glared at him as he turned away. "See you at the tournament," he spoke, "and you will lose this time."

Emily growled. "That Alex...he gets on my nerves..." she spoke then folded her arms over her chest. "I wonder what the hell he's talking about, though...we haven't done anything that could affect his life..." She sighed then turned back to the stage as she watched the stage hands bring up the plaques Cynthia had made mention of. She pulled out her pokegear and looked at the time. "It's almost two...we should probably get all registered and then head off to the Celadon Gym if we want to get in on any of the Free Battle action." She turned and saw a stand near to the Main Stage and noticed the crowd was quickly beginning to flock to it. "That must be where they are registering for the tournament." Kiai nodded and the two quickly got in line.

It took several minutes for them to get up to stand where a rather middle-aged man sat behind a computer. "We wanted to register for the tournament," Emily spoke.

The man behind the stand nodded. "Name?"

"Umm...Em...err...Elisa Denhom." she spoke, realizing it was probably bad to use her real name.

The man nodded. "Do you have the six Pokemon you plan to use for the tournament with you?" Emily nodded. "Then set them over here." He pointed to a nearby machine. Emily set her pokeballs on it and the machine dinged after a moment. "Now just stand over there to get your picture taken and we'll have your Battle Pass for you in just a minute." She nodded again and did as she was told. Sure enough, a minute later she was handed a small card similar to her trainer card, but it showed her six Pokemon on it as well as a headshot with the name "Elisa Denhom" on it.

Kiai was next behind her. "Name?" spoke the man.

"Chris Pine."

"And do you have your six pokemon?"

"I sure do." The man talked Kiai through the procedure, and he examined his ID alongside Emily. "I look so weird with glasses…" he whispered to her. "I'm just glad they didn't ask for our Trainer IDs...we didn't get our names changed on those."

"Damn, you're right…I guess probably because this isn't a Kanto tournament, our Kanto IDs didn't matter." Emily nodded. "I think we were lucky. In either case, it seems we're all registered for the tournament." Emily flipped the card over to look at the back. "This is a pretty fancy pass for just a tournament."

"It's not just for the tournament," a voice spoke and Emily looked up to see a girl with rather long red hair. She wore a purple dress that ended just above her knees and was semi frilly at the bottom. "My name's Calus. I used to be a Mt. Battle Area Leader in the Orre region about five years ago. I quit after being beaten by a kid named Michael, though...he was rather impressive and made me realize I still had a lot more to learn about Pokemon, so I went to train. I've wanted a chance to show off my skills since then, and I figured this tournament is a great way to do it."

"That's great," Emily spoke with a smile. "But what did you mean by 'the pass is for more than just the tournament'?"

"That's an official Poketopia Battle Pass," Calus spoke. "Simply put, Mysterial is hoping this tournament will boost the amount of people that will come to Poketopia by giving anyone who participates in the tournament a free Poketopia Battle Pass that is good until the end of the year. The SS Aqua will be leaving in two weeks from Vermillion City for anyone who got a pass from the tournament and is interested in battling at Poketopia."

"Wow," spoke Kiai, looking at his pass with renewed interest. "Sounds like a mighty fun time…might be worth checking out, if we could manage it."

"It would be well worth it if you did," spoke Calus. "Mysterial is an eccentric but powerful Pokemon master, and the opportunity to see him in action, however fleeting, would be well worth it."

"Is that so..." spoke Kiai, "I think I may just go to learn a thing or two."

Calus laughed, "You don't learn anything from him unless you're already a recognized Champion. Unless you're at that level, his skills will far, far exceed yours, to the point where you'd be lucky just to recognize you've been defeated."

"He sounds powerful..." Emily spoke, turning to look at Kiai.

Calus nodded. "In Poketopia, whoever completes all of the Colosseums gets a chance to enter the Stargazer Colosseum. In that you are sent up against all of the Colosseum Leaders. Defeat them, and you get a chance to fight Mysterial himself. In the course of the three years Poketopia has been up, hundreds have fought Mysterial, but only three so far have claimed the title of 'Champion'. Mysterial is a very powerful Pokemon Master."

"Calus!" a voice shouted and Calus squeaked.

"I have to go, that's my boyfriend. I hope I'll see you two at the tournament, bye!" Calus turned and ran off after that.

Kiai waved to the back end of Calus as she ran off. "Interesting girl…wonder if that'll be her only cameo…" spoke Kiai, before turning his interest back to his tournament pass.

Emily glanced down at her Pokegear, noticing it had taken about fourty-five minutes to get through the line and get their passes. "Well, what do we want to do now? It's almost three." She pulled out the schedule. "There are a few shows going on, or we could hit the Free Battle. It would give us a chance to see some of the other trainers here, maybe a chance to test our skills a bit. It's also at the Celadon Gym, so we might be able to meet up with Erika and schedule a Gym match after the Convention if we wanted to do that."

"As much as I love business," spoke Kiai, stretching happily, "I think, for the next few days, I'm going to focus on pleasure. I'm not going to worry about badges until the convention is over. As for where to go next, I'm sort of interested in that Free Battle. What do you think?"

Emily nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me. We can head over to the Gym and check it out." With that, the two made their way through the crowd and to the Celadon City Gym. It wasn't hard to spot due to it being a rather large round building in the north of the park with a roof that looked much like the top of a Vileplume's head. The automatic door slid open as Emily and Kiai entered, their eyes wide as they noticed the entire place was like a greenhouse in that the walls were all made of glass and the entire inside of the building seemed to be filled with all sorts of plants and Pokemon, though Emily guess they weren't wild Pokemon. "This place is beautiful."

"Yeah," said Kiai, equally impressed. "But where's the battleground?" he spoke as he gazed around.

A voice somewhere in the shrubbery spoke up, "Follow the stone path on your right, take the first gravel fork on your left, and follow that down until it turns to dirt."

Kiai and Emily looked around for the voice, but couldn't find it. "Er.. thank you.. er.. mister.." spoke Emily.

The voice replied, "Roger. Roger the shrubber."

"Mister Roger. Thank you." The two of them walked along the path, forgetting almost immediately that they were in a gym at all, but rather in a glorious arboreatum. They followed the instructions as the man said; the paths were clearly marked and impeccably well-kept. They passed through a low, shady arch of grapevine before the area opened up to a wide grass field with an earthen mound at either end, and several logs and large stones on either side. There was currently a trainer on each mound and several on the logs and stones; there seemed to be a battle in progress.

"If I didn't know any better," spoke Kiai as he looked around, "I'd say this is the battleground.

"Indeed it is," said a soft voice from behind them. They both turned to see a young, gentle-looking girl with purple hair tucked back in a red hairband, and wearing a conservative green kimono with several dirt and grass stains on her sleeves and fingertips.

Emily bowed to the girl. "Hello, my name is E...lisa," she spoke, almost forgetting to use her fake name, "and this is my boyfriend, Chris. We came because we heard the Free Battles were occurring here?"

The girl nodded. "That they are, we've got quite a few interesting trainers here already actually." She gave a bow. "My name is Erika by the way, I'm the Gym Leader here. You may already know this, but the Gym will be closed during the Convention, at least as a Gym anyway, that way trainers can come here for the Free Battles."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, we anticipated as such. We're not really ready to try claiming any badges yet, anyway." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Kind of had a rough couple weeks, we're using the Con to kind of relax." She spoke these words, trying not to say anything that would reveal their real identities.

Erika gasped, putting her hands to her lips. "Oh my, were you two involved in the events at Silph Company as well?"

"NO!" spoke Kiai, obviously a lot louder than he intended. He coughed quickly and continued, "No, not at all. We weren't even there at the time. We…uh…" He floundered for a bit, then went for broke: "A mutual friend needed help rearing a Charizard."

Kiai and Emily were relieved when Erika's expression of genuine concern turned into one of near horror. "Oh you poor things," she spoke, "I have heard they can be quite difficult. Well. No playing with fire when you're in here, alright?"

"Heh heh…wouldn't dream of it." said Kiai, relieved.

Emily gave a sort of nervous chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck again nervously. "So...how does the Free Battle thing work?" she asked after a rather awkward moment of silence.

"It's quite simple, really," Erika spoke. "You sign up over here for the Free Battle, then we call people up at random and people get to fight each other. We have a machine here for quick revitalization of your Pokemon after each battle as well." Erika gestured over to a small yellow machine that had room for six balls on it as well as a few buttons.

"What if we don't want to fight specific people? Like...I really don't want to fight my boyfriend...he'd probably kick my ass."

Erika giggled a little at the statement. "You're always free to decline a challenge, in which case someone else is picked out at random."

Emily nodded. "That makes sense, I like that idea."

"Just remember to leave your egos at the doorstep," Erika spoke, pointing a motherly finger at Kiai and Emily, "or I'll personally take care of you like I did that boy Alex." Emily and Kiai both nodded. Satisfied, Erika continued. "Sign ups are electronic," she spoke as she gestured to another machine next to the resuscitator, "You can see your name posted on the scoreboard overhead." She raised her eyes to the ceiling and there, almost completely hidden in twisted, leafy vines, was indeed a standard gym scoreboard, with trainer names, current pokemon, and all sorts of other information. It was so well integrated into the gym that if you weren't looking directly at it, you'd never see it. "I'm afraid we cannot contact you if you leave the gym, so once you register, if you intend to battle, you will have to remain until your name is called. Trainers may choose which type of battle they wish to have, and I will oversee them all. Do you have any further questions?"

Emily thought for a moment. "No...I think that about covers it," she spoke and turned to Kiai who shook his head as well.

"Very well then, let's get you all signed up." Erika took Kiai and Emily over to a small computer where they both input their information. The process didn't take very long at all, and soon they were registered and ready. "We hope you'll enjoy yourselves here in the Free Battles," Erika spoke with a bow before turning and leaving. Emily stepped forward towards the arena to watch the battle currently going on.

On either end of the grassy arena there were two small groups of children. A boy on one end, and a girl on the other, had stepped up to the sandy mounds on either side, and their respective groups were cheering them on. At center stage there was a Sandshrew and a Doduo, and while both seemed to have been battling for some time, the Sandshrew appeared to be the better for it, much to the chagrin of the Doduo's trainer which, by the look of despair on her face, appeared to be the young girl. "Sandshrew, Scratch Attack!" shouted the enthusiastic young boy.

"Doduo! Use Quick Attack and swirl around your opponent!" the girl shouted. The Doduo quickly dashed forward, seemingly headstrong at the Sandshrew, but at the last moment it dodged out of the way and began running at great speeds around the Sandshrew.

"What the heck?" the trainer shouted in surprise as he noticed the Doduo moving faster and faster around its opponent. The Sandshrew was trying its hardest to watch for its opponent, but this caused it to simply spin in circles until it got dizzy and fell backwards. "Gah! Sandshrew!"

"I don't want to hurt your Pokemon..." the girl spoke rather sincerely.

The trainer growled. "Oh yeah? Well screw that. This is a battle! If you didn't want to fight strong, then you shouldn't have signed up!"

The girl looked away. "I just wanted to show that there are other ways to win then to senselessly beat your enemies down..."

"Screw that, I want a fight! Sandshrew get up!" The Sandshrew hopped up to its feet, turning to the Doduo that was now standing at the far end of the arena. "Let's show this girl what I'm talking about! Use Fissure!" Sandshrew launched itself into the air and quickly thrust its fist down. "Now split the ground just like I taught you!" The Sandshrew struck the ground hard, causing the ground to quickly split apart in the center of the field. The Doduo squawked loudly as the ground flew up at it, wiping it out. "Ha, see? That's the way you win."

The girl looked down and held out a pokeball. "Doduo, return." Doduo was zapped back into its pokeball and she smiled. "It was a good battle." She bowed and looked up at the board. It now said "Winner: AJ". She then turned and stepped out of the arena, quickly patting down her yellow dress and grabbing the small weaved hat off the stand behind her. "Well, maybe next time I'll win," she spoke with a smile.

The boy turned to the small band of other children around him who were now cheering, and lapped it up. His celebration was short lived however, as his name and pokemon were quickly erased from the scoreboard and a new set of names appeared: Elisa and Amanda. The images next to the names were clearly of Emily with glasses on, and another, older girl. Emily walked into the center of the playing field, but was not joined by anybody. After a few moments, Erika's voice came up over the loudspeaker, "Miss Amanda, your turn is up. Please come to the playing field."

No sooner had Erika finished speaking when a tall, serious-looking girl emerged from behind a tree. She had a fierce look in her dark eyes with long black hair down to her waist, done up in a tight braid. She was wearing a black tank-top and skirt, and black fingerless gloves. She walked briskly to the center of the playing field, her cold eyes locked on Emily's. She spoke just one word, briefly and sharply, "Terms?"

Emily looked at Amanda, a strange feeling coming over her. She felt like she should know this person, but she couldn't seem to recall any moment where she had met her. Finally, she let the feeling go and stepped up to the mound. "How about a three-on-three battle? Standard Kanto League rules."

Amanda nodded. "Fine with me." She pulled a pokeball off her belt. "Ditto, ready yourself." She tossed the ball forward, releasing, what seemed to be, a pink blob of gel onto the ground.

"Ditto, huh? All right, then." She drew a pokeball. "Maneon, go!" she shouted and tossed the pokeball forward, releasing her fighting-type Eeveelution.

Amanda looked the Pokemon over for a moment. "Ditto, Transform." Ditto began to glow brightly and its form shifted until the blob no longer seemed to exist, and an exact copy of Maneon was now left on the field.

Kiai joined Emily at her end of the field. "Ditto, huh?" he spoke, "This ought to be interesting."

Emily glared at the Ditto, now transformed into Maneon. She immediately recalled the last battle she had with a Ditto, and the odd feeling of recognition washed over her again. She shook the distraction away and shouted, "Maneon! Body Slam!" Her pokemon dashed at the Ditto with great power.

"Ditto, Strength." spoke the girl at the other end. Her Ditto flexed its formidable muscles and dug itself into the grass. Maneon thrust its muscled chest out as it flew into Ditto, and when the two collided, Maneon fell in a heap, while Ditto seemed to stumble a bit. "Ditto, Mach Punch." Ditto shook its head to clear its senses, then growled at the recovering Maneon as it leapt toward its foe, one paw raised up to swipe at it.

"Maneon! Watch out!" Maneon quickly ducked down and rolled out of the way quickly. "All right, Maneon, let's try giving it a good Fire Punch." Maneon rushed forward and reared back, raising one of its paws. It thrust its paw forward as fire burst off of it.

Amanda spoke nothing, letting the Ditto take the blow full force. She then smirked. "Now, Ditto, hit it with Seismic Toss." The Ditto quickly slid itself under Maneon and lifted it onto its back. Maneon began to squirm as the Ditto then launched into the air. A moment later, and it quickly threw Maneon down, sending it slamming head first into the ground below. "Easy as cake." After the dust cleared, Amanda was surprised to see Maneon was still standing, even if just barely. "Not enough, huh? Very well then. Ditto, use Submission!" Ditto rushed forward quickly and Emily growled. She now realized just how little she knew about Maneon and she cursed herself for not thinking things through beforehand. With that, Maneon was struck hard with the Submission, finally being knocked out.

"Maneon, I'm sorry, you did your best..." Emily held out her pokeball. "Return." Maneon was returned and she put the pokeball back on her belt. "What can I use against a Ditto? This girl...she seems to know more about my own Pokemon then I do..." She bit her lip hard as she thought, finally deciding upon her next Pokemon. "All right, Shadow, let's do this!" she tossed her Luxury Ball forward, releasing her Umbreon.

Amanda smirked again. "Transform" was all she spoke and they watched once again as Ditto became an exact duplicate of Shadow.

"Shadow!" Emily shouted, "Start things off with Confuse Ray!" Shadow howled as a blast of dark energy spat out from the air around it. "Quick Attack!" shouted the girl from the other side. Ditto phased briefly as it attempted to dash away, but reappeared a few feet off to the side as the powerful attack struck it regardless. It stumbled out of the Quick Attack and slowly, cautiously got to its feet. The girl in black frowned. "Screech," she spoke. Ditto attempted to straighten itself out and roar at Shadow, but as it did, it tripped over its front paw and landed face-down into the grass. The girl's frown turned into a scowl.

"Awesome," Emily smiled with a smirk. "All right, let's make these a little more uneven. Shadow, use Sand Attack!" Shadow pulled its paw back and slashed at the ground, causing dirt to fly up and into Ditto's face. "Awesome, now it's not only confused but it can't see as well. Now hit it with Bite!" Shadow launched forward and quickly bit down on Ditto's ear, making it howl in pain, though it did significantly less damage then it could have done if Ditto wasn't transformed.

"Ditto, use Faint Attack!" Ditto stumbled for a moment, but then its eyes turned red as it dashed forward at blinding speed. It quickly began to swirl around Shadow, who reared back, readying itself for the attack.

"Shadow, try to dodge it using Quick Attack!" Emily called out and Shadow quickly rushed forward, barely managing to get through the attack. Realizing its opponent was no longer there, Ditto stopped in its tracks and began to look around. The sand in its eyes was making it hard to see anything. "Quick Attack from behind!" Shadow rushed forward and quickly struck Ditto in the back, which caused it to yelp and stumble forward before performing a rather ungraceful head-over-heels roll, landing square on its back. "Now Shadow Ball!"

"Get up, Ditto!" Amanda spoke quickly and the Ditto tried to pull itself to its feet, but Shadow was on top of it within a moment's notice. A large ball of ghostly energy then formed in Shadow's mouth and it shot it down, striking the Ditto square in the chest. It yelped again and its form became too unstable to maintain, forcing it back into the blob-like form.

"Quick! Hit it with Faint Attack!" Emily quickly shouted. Shadow rushed forward and quickly struck the Ditto as hard as it could, sending it flying into the air a ways before it came down, slamming hard into the arena floor.

Amanda smirked. "Been a while since my Ditto was last defeated." She spoke and pulled out her pokeball. "Return." The Ditto was returned to its pokeball and she pulled out a second. "Now, let's see you face off against this. Porygon 2, ready yourself!" She tossed the pokeball forward and a very strange Pokemon appeared. Its body looked unreal, as if it was something pulled straight from a video game. Its body was pink except for a small blue patch on its underside along with a blue beak and two blue feet. Its eyes took up half of its head. "Let's see you handle this. Porygon 2, Conversion!" At once, then Pokemon's body shifted, taking on a darker look as its pink skin became black and gold rings formed around its beak and legs.

Emily bit her lip. "Porygon 2, huh? Alright.. Shadow, try another Shadow Ball!" Shadow reared back, gathering dark energy at its mouth, then hurled it toward Porygon 2. The attack hit dead-on, but didn't seem to phase it.

"Porygon 2, Signal Beam." Porygon 2 began to glow as it gathered light energy from the air around it, a task it found quite easy given the bright sun pouring in from the roof. After a second, it released a powerful beam at Shadow. The attack knocked Shadow back several feet, and when it stood up, it seemed to be disoriented.

"Crap.." grumbled Emily, "C'mon Shadow, shake it off. Use Confuse Ray!"

Shadow focused itself long enough to fire off another Confuse Ray, but her opponent quickly spoke, "Magic Coat." A shimmering aura covered Porygon 2, and the Confuse Ray simply bounced back and hit Shadow dead on. Shadow growled and shook its head, but it was clearly completely disoriented now.

"Aww damn it...come on, Shadow, you can do this..." Emily spoke and looked up at Amanda. She seemed rather sure of herself. "Shadow, use Faint Attack!" Shadow turned towards Porygon 2 for a moment as its eyes swirled in confusion. Shadow gave a roar, then rushed forward, but instead of aiming for Porygon 2, it seemed to rush off and aim at one of the stands, which it slammed head first into. "Shadow!"

Amanda gave a deep chuckle. "You're Umbreon is confused," she spoke, then turned to her Porygon 2. "Porygon 2, use Tri-Attack." Porygon 2 faced Shadow and its eyes began to glow. It opened its mouth and unleashed three beams out of its mouth which all struck Shadow hard, knocking it to the ground. "And now..." Shadow stood up, turning back to Porygon 2 only to find the after effect of the Tri-Attack freeze its feet to the ground. "Frozen and Confused." Amanda spoke. "What a shame...Porygon 2, finish it with Zap Cannon." Porygon 2's body seemed to conduct electricity from around it. It's entire body seemed to shift in form into, what appeared to be, a small cannon. The cannon then shot forth a massive bolt of electricity with electrified Shadow. With this, Shadow collapsed to the ground, obviously wiped out.

"Damn..." Emily spoke and pulled out her Luxury Ball. "Shadow, return!" Shadow was zapped back into its ball and she looked back at Amanda. "You're definitely a good trainer..." she spoke and looked down. "I...I'm not going to give up, though..." She pulled out her third Pokeball. "All I have is Water types...so this is my only other hope..." she tossed her Pokeball forward. "Steameon, go!" she shouted and the pokeball opened, releasing her Ghost-type Eeveelution.

"So, your last Pokemon is this?" Amanda asked. "Give it a Tri-Attack!" Porygon 2 unleashed another triple beam attack at Steameon, who just smirked as the blast seemed to pass right through it. "Ghost-type...I figured as much...Conversion, Porygon 2!" Porygon 2's skin shifted once again, becoming almost an exact copy of Steameon's.

Emily gritted her teeth. "So now he's a Ghost-type... which means I can't use any Ghost-type moves or they won't be effective…unless…Steameon! Use Night Shade!" Steameon's eyes glowed a ghostly white as a bright beam shot out toward Porygon 2. In the instant before Porygon 2 was hit, the beam morphed into an identical copy of it, thus striking Porygon 2 with a force equal to its own formidable strength. Porygon 2's body seemed to glitch, which Amanda clearly took to be a bad sign. There was a slight cheer from Kiai behind Emily's shoulder.

"So, you got one shot in and you think you're all hot now?" Amanda looked up at Emily. "Well, I'll just have to wipe you out in one shot. Porygon 2, build up a hundred thousand volts in your body!" Electricity began to surge throughout Porygon 2's body and Amanda smirked. Emily realized exactly what she was doing. She was maxing out her Pokemon's electric power to unleash something destructive, and she guessed it was going to be Thunder as that move always seemed to follow next.

"Steameon, we need to knock it out before it can attack! Use Astonish!" Steameon rushed forward and lunged into the air. It roared loudly, but Porygon 2 seemed rather unaffected by it. Steameon then came down, striking Porygon 2 hard. Amanda just gave a chuckle and Emily realized why. Electricity was now surging through Steameon's body, freezing it in place.

"You thought I was going for Thunder, didn't you?" Amanda asked and Emily growled when she now realized what Amanda had done. "It's true, building up the voltage in its body could allow it to use Thunder, but as well, building it up and then holding it would cause your Pokemon to become paralyzed the moment it touched yours. And now..." Amanda quickly threw her hand out. "For the Grand Finale! Porygon 2, unleash Zap Cannon with the left over extra power you have!" Porygon 2 transformed once again into the cannon, aiming directly at Steameon. Steameon tried to move, but the electricity coursing through it was too much. With a massive blast of electricity from the cannon, Steameon was wiped out.

"I guess I win this fight," Amanda spoke as she stared at Emily with a rather disappointed look. "You did good, but I'm sensing something about you..." She stepped forward across the battlefield until she was only a few inches away from Emily. She then stuck her face into Emily's face, looking deep into her eyes. Emily backed away a little, not understanding this strange motion from this strange woman. "I see it in your eyes," Amanda spoke and Emily blinked.

"See what?"

Amanda stood herself up straight. "Tell me, why do you battle?"

"Why do I battle?" Emily looked away. "Because...I want my Pokemon to be strong...I want them...to win..."

"Is that so? Then why can't you look me in the eyes when you say that?" Emily turned back to retort, but as soon as her eyes met with Amanda's, she felt like small, like a Rattata. She turned away, not speaking and Amanda nodded. "As I suspected. Your heart is not into catch and battle. You are a Pokemon Trainer who does not seek to train Pokemon, but instead to raise them, to learn from them."

"I want to train them!" Emily quickly retorted, turning her head back at Amanda.

Amanda simply shook her head. "You have it confused, little one. Training and raising are two different things, yet their very similar. You want to raise them, to live with them, to learn from them. Your heart is not into battling, but instead is into simply catching what you would enjoy as pets." Emily seemed to sink down. She had never thought of it that way before, and now that she was, she couldn't help but wonder if the strange woman's words were true. "Perhaps it would be best if you considered being a different type of Pokemon Trainer." She pulled out a small card and handed it to Emily. "If you decide to take my challenge, call this number. They'll set you up."

Amanda then turned. "Regardless, you did make someone very proud of you today. Your battle, though your heart was not into it, was exceptional. If you continue this course, remember that Pokemon are not restricted to a certain moveset. Combining moves and even using a move to the half of its potential can be some of the best strategies." She held out a pokeball. "Porygon 2, return!" the Porygon 2 was zapped back into its pokeball and Amanda turned back to Emily. "Think about it a little bit." She then walked off, deleting herself from the registry so she wouldn't be called on for another battle. She then walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Kiai watched her go in silence, and when she was gone, he turned to Emily. "She's right, you know. You love Pokemon, but you're just not cut out for battling with them. I know this sort of thing has come up before…but maybe it's time you thought about something different?"

"Maybe..." Emily held up a pokeball. "Steameon, return." Steameon was returned to its pokeball and she placed it back on her belt. "I guess...I've never really thought about it..." She looked up at the scoreboard, which clearly stated that she had lost three-to-one. "That girl...she was really good..." She looked down. "Her style of battle...I've never seen anyone make moves like that..." She stepped out of the arena and walked over to one of the stands nearby. As she sat down, she pulled out her pokeballs and looked them over. "My Pokemon are strong...but...what really is my main focus? I don't have a well rounded team...in fact, up until recently I've just had water types...I have others now...but my main focus..." Eevee entered her head and she nodded. "It's not on how strong they are...She's right...I focus more on raising my Pokemon as friends and pets then I focus on training them to battle..." She looked back up, seeing Kiai standing over her. "I...feel kind of lost now..."

Kiai chuckled as he reached up to ruffle her hair. "Lost? I'm sure it feels like you've hit a brick wall in your career, but there are plenty of roads to choose from, so there's no need to feel lost." He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her off the field to the resuscitation platform. "All my life I wanted to be a pokemon trainer.. I wanted to beat the Final Four.. I wanted to be the best like no one ever was. But you? Your pokemon aren't for fighting or battling, and your head isn't there either. You have a love for pokemon, and there's much more you can do beyond just pitting them against each other. C'mon," he spoke with a smile, "think about it. Who do you know is famous with pokemon but doesn't fight with them?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, Professor Oak is famous with Pokemon and he doesn't fight with them..." She thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it...he's a Pokemon Trainer, but he's not just any normal trainer, he's also a Pokemon Researcher." She thought for a moment more. "What was it that girl said? 'You want to raise them, to learn from them.'" She paused for a moment as a thought began to move through her mind and Kiai could see the gears in her head turning. "Do you think maybe...she thought I should be a researcher?"

Kiai grinned that grin of his as he began placing Emily's pokeballs in the resuscitator. "You have first-hand experience with the most advanced pokemon this world has seen, what with our little scuffle last week." He held two of her pokeballs aloft. "You already have some that even Oak hasn't seen." He placed them on the resuscitator and pressed a few buttons. "You have the interest, and the motivation. That's all it takes to get started." The resuscitator beeped a few times as it worked. "And speaking of which, we need to talk to Oak anyway about those two. Maybe you could use that opportunity to ask him a few career questions?"

Emily nodded. "I'm sure Oak would be a lot of help. We'll have to call him up tonight. I can also send him Maneon and Steameon as well." She turned back to look up at the scoreboard. "Hey, a new battle is starting." She noticed the names on the board. "Brendan and Emerald...who names their kid Emerald?" She looked down at the arena Sure enough, a rather short kid stepped up to the mound and stood his ground. His hair was pulled up, almost looking like horns on his head, while a green gem seemed to be stuck in the middle of his forehead. The kid wore a rather long shirt, since the sleeves came off his arms and travelled halfway down his body. His pants were also just as long and baggy and Emily wondered how he didn't trip over himself. The other combatant was a boy about her age. He wore a simple red and black shirt with the same color pants. A red band was around his forehead, and Emily wondered if it was a hat due to the fact he had, what seemed to be, pure white hair sticking up above the band. His gloves were fingerless, like it seemed almost every trainer wore here. "Is there something cool about fingerless gloves that I'm missing?" Emily asked. "I mean...it seems like every other trainer has them..."

"Hey!" Emily heard someone shout and she turned. There she saw a trainer running towards them.

"Can I help you?" Emily asked.

"Are you Elisa Denhom?"

Emily blinked, then nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"You said you had water-type Pokemon. I'm looking for a particular kind." He pulled out a small picture and held it up to her. "Do you happen to have one like this?" Emily stared at the picture for a moment, noting it was of a Magikarp. "Well...yeah...but why do you ask? I mean...Magikarp are pretty common..."

The trainer sighed. "Try as I might, I've been unable to capture one...I stand by the rivers all day fishing...and I get a bite, and then I reel it in and it's Magikarp!" He made movements to describe what he saw saying. "So then, I throw a pokemon out to weaken it, and then I throw a pokeball...and...I don't know what happens! I just can't catch it!" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I want an awesome Gyarados, but if I can't catch a Magikarp, there's no way I'll ever catch a Gyarados..."

Emily looked at Kiai with a look of "how could anyone fail to catch a Magikarp?" She then looked back at the trainer. "Well...I do have one..."

"Could you trade it to me? Oh please oh please oh please!"

"W-well...all right..." she rubbed the back of her neck and pulled out her Magikarp's pokeball. "What are you going to give me?"

"This." He held out a pokeball. "This Pokemon was my starter...but it never listened to me...no matter what I've done, it just never listens...so...you see...I just don't know what else to do..." He sighed. "I'm sad to let it go...but maybe...I'm just a failure...so if it can have a better home with someone else...someone better then me...maybe it'll be happy, you know?"

Emily nodded. "All right, I'll see what I can do." She smiled and took the pokeball then threw out her Magikarp's pokeball. Magikarp was released and Emily watched as it flopped on the ground. "Here you go, one Magikarp. I named it Magi, but you can change it if you want." She handed him the Pokeball and the trainer bowed.

"Oh thank you so much, and Magi sounds like a fine name." He turned back to the Magikarp. "Return, Magi!" the Magikarp returned to its pokeball and he gave a final bow before running off.

Emily stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking her previous thought. "How do you fail to capture a Magikarp?"

Kiai shrugged. "Maybe he was using a rock instead of a pokeball? Speaking of which, what'd you get? Must be something interesting if it didn't obey him as a starter."

Emily looked back down at the pokeball. "You know, that's a good question. Pokeball, go!" she tossed the pokeball forward and in a blast of light appeared a small fox-like creature. "It's an Eevee!" Emily remarked at once. The Eevee turned to look at Emily for a moment, its face looking different than the normal happy one Eevee usually expressed. In fact, if one didn't know better, one would say this Eevee looked downright pissed off.

"Eevee..." the Eevee spoke as it backed up a little bit. "Eevee! Eev eevee eev!" it shouted and Emily stared at it.

"It says 'Who are you and what happened to that retard of a fool who was my warden?'"

Kiai doubled over in laughter. "Wow, that little one's got spunk." He kneeled down and reached over to pet the Eevee, which promptly bit his finger. He leapt back and landed on his ass, a look of pure surprise on his face. His mouth hung open for a few seconds as he looked between the Eevee and Emily.

"Eevee, ee eevee eev!" the Eevee shouted.

"It says 'Don't touch me, you dipshit'...wow, this thing has some really foul language."

Eevee turned to Emily and growled. "Eevee! Eev eevee eev eevee eev eevee!"

"What did you just say to me?" Emily shouted and promptly snatched the Eevee up by the fur on its back. "Try saying that to my face!" Eevee gave Emily a rather dull glance and simply repeated its statement. "You little..." she growled and nearly tossed the Eevee onto the ground. "I may not dress the most conservative, but I'm nobody's whore!" This, naturally, attracted the attention of a few nearby trainers who gave Emily weird glances.

Emily cleared her throat as she looked around. Even the pokemon on the battlefield, in mid-attack, stopped to look. Eevee sat, obnoxiously proudly, on the grass, grinning. "Small wonder.." said Kiai, picking himself up, "that the boy had so much difficulty even catching a Magikarp…an Eevee like this would consider that a waste of time." He clapped Emily, who was still blushing, on the shoulder. "Good luck," he spoke with a grin.

"'Good luck'...thanks...that's a lot of help..." Emily spoke with a sigh. "All right, you. Enough of this. I'm your new trainer now, so you're going to have to listen to me, understand?"

Eevee turned its nose up at her. "Eevee eev."

Emily growled. "Why you little..." she took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Look, I'm a good trainer." She pulled out her Luxury Ball and released Shadow, who immediately nuzzled against Emily's leg. "See? All of my Pokemon like me. I'm sure that if you give me a try-"

"Eevee, eev eevee eev," the Eevee spoke and Shadow growled.

"Umbreon! Umb umbreon umb!" spoke defensively.

The Eevee gave a wicked smirk at this. Its next statement sounded as if it was taunting Shadow, to which Shadow growled more.

"Shadow...calm down...I know it calling you names and making fun of you...but that's all it is, harmless name calling. Now, let's all try to be friends, ok?" The Eevee gave a rather wicked almost cackle like sound then began to prance back and forth. Shadow growled more, slowly inching its way towards the Eevee. "Shadow, calm down." It didn't matter, the Eevee had insulted Shadow's pride, and she wasn't going to stand for it. Quickly, she unleashed a Faint Attack which knocked the Eevee back a ways. "Shadow, return!" Emily shouted and Shadow was quickly zapped back into its pokeball. The Eevee just smirked at Emily.

"Eevee, eev eevee. Eev eevee eev."

"You insulted Shadow! Of course it's going to attack you! Don't blame me and how I raise my Pokemon for you being attacked!" The Eevee just shrugged and stepped up to Emily. It quickly kicked her in the foot and Emily growled. "That's it, back in the pokeball you go!" She tossed the pokeball at Eevee, hitting it rather hard on the head and zapping it back inside. "Stupid Eevee..."

Kiai turned toward their unintentional audience and held his hand up, one finger still bleeding slightly where it was bitten. "It's ok, folks. Just a rabid Eevee. Nothing to see here. Go about your business." Slowly the people turned their attention back to the match. Kiai turned back to Emily. "Well, that was fun. How's your foot?"

Emily sighed and brought her foot up to look it over. There was a small bruise, but otherwise nothing major. "That little shit..." she growled. "I can see why that last trainer couldn't make it listen to him...it's very obnoxious...and it has the most foul mouth I've ever heard out of a Pokemon...I mean...it called me a whore and it called Shadow a 'brainwashed git' cause it thinks the Luxury Ball brainwashed Shadow to like me..."

"Well you do have a nice bod-" began Kiai before he was smashed by a hammer.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "I am not a whore!" At that moment there was a chime, and the two of them looked up at the scoreboard. It seems Emerald had just won, one to two. There were cheers and congratulations as the two walked off and headed over toward the resuscitator.

For the remaining hour of the Free Battles, Kiai and Emily sat in the stands, watching some of the battles that occurred. They watched amazing battles unfold with opponent's that were obviously from other regions and both Emily and Kiai marveled at some of the many different Pokemon that existed in the world. One battle had been a water-type against water-type battle, which Emily watched very attentively. She was amazed at the sheer power that some of the pokemon displayed, but she was also amazed at just how ugly some of the water types that were used were. When one of the trainers threw out a Mudkip, Emily about gagged at the sight of the creature and she wondered how such an ugly creature could exist, and Kiai had to remind her that it wasn't Mudkips fault it was ugly, but simply nature had designed it.

Finally, as the Free Battles came to a close, Kiai noticed his name had never been called. He had wanted a chance to fight at least once, to match his skill with a trainer from another region, but the chance never came. Finally, as Erika announced the end of the Free Battles, Emily and Kiai got up from their seats in the stands and made their way out from the gym. The final hour of the convention was mostly spent wandering, and at last, they returned to the Main Stage as Zoey and Dawn said their farewells for the day to the crowd and reminded them to all come back at nine the next morning. As the crowd dispersed, Emily turned to Kiai. "Well, it's getting late. Think we should check in and see what Ash, Misty, and Amy are up to?"

"Definitely. Do you know where they are?" asked Kiai.

"No," answered Emily, "but I know where to find them." She reached into her pocket and held up her pokégear with an exuberant flair. At that moment, there was a cheerful tune of accomplishment. Emily stared at it, wondering if she was accidentally roleplaying something from Legend of Zelda before she realized it was just a tone signifying that she had just gotten a text message. She opened up her pokégear and read it. "Wow, speak of the devil... Amy is gathering everyone up, she says we're going out to eat in a few hours."

"Sounds good to me," spoke Kiai, "but where are they?"

"I dunno, can you translate 'GONE TO NOM IN 3 HR, BR BFFS, MEET AT PC IN 5, LUV U, AMY'?"

Kiai looked over her shoulder at the pokegear. "She's collecting the crew to partake in an evening meal in three hours. She requests that you bring your friends, probably me and whomever else, along with you. We're to meet her at the Pokemon Center, so we should head there now. She expresses her admiration for you."

Emily raised an eyebrow at Kiai. "I thought you were no good with technology..."

"I'm not," he spoke, "just bad grammar."

Emily shook her head. "Well, anyway, at least someone understood that. Let's get to the Pokemon Center then so we can meet up with them." Kiai nodded and the two made their way towards the Center.

"Hello!" Amy called out to Emily and Kiai as they walked up to the Center and Emily waved back. They quickly made their way over and Amy smiled. "So, how was your first day at the convention?"

"Weird..." Emily spoke.

"Haha, that's normal. Conventions are a very strange place to be. You'll have to tell Ash and I all about it later."

"'Ash and I'?" Emily asked. "What about Misty?"

"You hadn't heard? Misty's been sick all day...She just started throwing up this morning out of nowhere..."

"That sucks..." Emily spoke. "Any clue why?"

Amy shrugged. "My guess? Probably just the stomach flu. She should be fine by either tomorrow or the day after."

Emily nodded. "That's good."

"Is Ash on his way?" asked Kiai. Amy nodded, "He said he might be late to make sure Misty was ok, but he'll be along before dinner. Do either of you need to drop your pokemon off while we're here?" Emily and Kiai both shook their heads. "Well in that case, let me grab mine."

"What do you mean?" asked Kiai, "were you involved in a battle and you didn't invite us to watch?"

Amy coughed slightly. "No." she spoke simply, and entered the Pokemon Center.

"Odd.." mused Kiai, "oh well. Must just be the busy life of a Pokemon Champion."

Emily nodded. "She's the Kanto and Johto League Champion. I'm sure that means she's got a lot to deal with. I just hope that she's getting paid a good amount for all of what she has to do...assuming, of course, she even gets paid..."

"I do," spoke Amy as she came out of the Pokemon Center, carefully tucking the pokeballs into a pouch on her belt, "but not enough. Well I don't want to ruin the surprise of your day without Ash around to hear it, so lets go do something until he gives us a call. After today, I could use a break."

"Busy day?" asked Emily. "Ugh. You could say that. I thought we had everything set and done yesterday, turns out we missed enough that I had to be in three places at once all day today.. but I'm pretty sure that's that, so hopefully I can spend the rest of the Con actually enjoying it."

"What, you didn't enjoy it with us?" asked Kiai.

"No," said Amy simply, playfully throwing her arm across Emily's shoulder and grinning, "not with you at least."

"Well, at least you'll get to relax now, right?" Emily asked and Amy nodded.

"Supposing everything is set up this time, then yes."

"That's good. I saw what happened at the stage today...Michelle pretty much saved the day..."

Amy nodded. "Well, Michelle is a wonderful girl." She placed her hands on Emily's hips. "I'm sure a girl like her would love to have a girl like you as a girlfriend, too."

Emily blushed. "B-but, I love Kiai..."

"So? Just because you have one person doesn't mean your life is full. Some people honestly need a second person to fill their life, and I happen to know Michelle is very much in love with both you and Kiai, and I can see why easily."

Emily blushed an extremely deep shade of crimson. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Amy smirked. "Well, you've got a great body." Amy moved her hands up and groped Emily's chest lightly which made Emily give out a loud "Eep!" Amy giggled and moved her hands back down. "Have you honestly ever considered it before?"

"C-considered what?"

"A threesome. I bet Kiai would love it, having two girls to dig himself into, and Michelle would love it for sure."

"N-no...but I'm only thirteen, I shouldn't be thinking of things like that anyway!"

"And yet I'll bet you do, or at least when it comes to regular sex anyway. Just out of curiosity, when was the last time you and Kiai had sex?"

"L-last night..." Emily barely squeaked out before burying her face in her purse.

Amy laughed. "You're so much fun to embarrass."

"Her? What about me?" Kiai was eyeing the area around them, himself a fairly bright shade of red. "But what's all this about Michelle?"

"Oh, she's fun to embarrass too."

"You've met her?"

"Yes, I personally thanked her after that little bit on the stage. We got to talking and when I said that Emily was my sister, well, she just would not shut up. She didn't say it directly, but she clearly cares about the two of you very much. Once I figured it out, I had her as red as Emily, pointing out how much she was into you two."

"Wow.." spoke Kiai softly, "I had no idea.. I thought she just looked up to us... I'll have to give that girl a special hug next time I meet her."

Emily nodded, "Same here.. and as for that... t-threesome.." She didn't get much more than that out of her lips, but that was all she needed to say.

Amy saw the opening and leaned into Emily with a slick grin. "Just imagine.. Michelle and Kiai rubbing their bodies against you..."

Emily winced, and Kiai shouted, "Okay!" He took a deep breath before he continued, though his cheeks were so red, if he was wearing a white shirt you'd half expect a pokemon to leap out of his neck. "Okay... that's good for now…but wow Amy, this is unlike you. You're so...forward..."

Amy scoffed. "You would be too after the day I had! I'm finally being officially left alone for the first time since I became Champion, and dammit I'm going to relax!"

"Well, I'm glad you're having fun relaxing...but maybe...we should tone it down a bit?" Emily rubbed the back of her neck.

Amy laughed. "Oh, all right." She looked around for a second before groping Emily's chest one last time, which made her give out the loud "Eep!" once more. "I'm sorry, but it's honestly been so long since I saw you, sis. I mean...yeah we had a couple days back when you lost in Vermillion, but that was mostly all training for you two. This is just family hanging out together, and I'm really noticing just how much your body has filled out over the last few years. You're not my baby sister with the itty-bitty boobies anymore." She giggled and Emily just shoved her face into her purse once more to hide her embarrassment. "Anyway, I'm done...for now. I really hope we can actually spend some time together tomorrow. I didn't see you at all today..."

Emily nodded. "I know."

"Hey! Why don't you show me those Pokemon of yours? I think you called them Maneon and Steameon?"

Emily nodded. "Sure." She pulled out two pokeballs and threw them forward releasing Maneon and Steameon.

"So, these are the Eeveelutions you told me that hunter had." Emily nodded. Amy knelt down and examined the two pokemon severely. She ran her hand along Maneon's legs and back, and although she didn't quite touch Steameon, she moved her hand around the ghostly fog it was eminating. Neither of them flinched. "Interesting…one Fighting, one Ghost…They're very well-trained, very clean…definitely not mistreated, nor have they ever been…Someone cared an awful lot about these."

Emily tilted her head. "How can you tell all that?"

"Pokemon don't usually 'attune' to a new trainer so quickly; it takes time to get used to the trainer and his or her style, but these obey you without question. Not only that, they show no signs of ill health or ever having suffered ill health. These two were bred and trained like prize show Pokemon…bred to be perfect in every way..."

Kiai knelt down beside Amy and tried to see what she was seeing. "Considering their rarity, do you think that's the reason they were so well kept?"

Amy did not immediately answer, but she was thinking deeply. "Maybe…maybe a function of their genesis that they were so well kept…" She stood up again. "You know, Emily, Professor Oak is going to be a guest speaker at Professor Rowans lecture in a few days. You should make it a point to show these two to him."

Emily nodded. "I was thinking about calling him tonight and sending the Pokemon to him via the Pokemon Center's transfer system."

Amy shook her head. "That won't do I'm afraid. As I said, Professor Oak is going to be at Professor Rowan's lecture in a few days. He's working overtime right now because of that. However, if you show them to him first thing after the lecture, he should have a chance to look them over quite a bit."

Emily nodded. "I see." She knelt down next to Maneon and began to gently pet its fur. "I wonder if Maneon and Steameon are boys or girls."

"Professor Rowan might know. He not only specializes in evolution, but also the ability to see the difference between male and female Pokemon. I don't know if he could tell you without seeing a Maneon and Steameon of the opposite gender then these...but it's possible he might have seen them before. He has done a lot of study on evolution, after all."

Emily nodded. "I see, so I'll have to see if I can show them to both of them."

Amy nodded. "Would be a good idea."

"Oh! Any extra news on that Ultra Ball?"

Amy shook her head. "Professor Oak hasn't even had a chance to look at it the last couple days. He's still fighting to get a Master Ball from Devon Corp, and with his current workload...it could be a while before he finds anything..."

"I see...well, maybe after this convention we'll all head to Mt. Silver and investigate it, right?"

Amy smiled but shook her head. "Its way too dangerous for you, little sis. You're both still fresh trainers. Maybe once you've gained some more experience I'll take you along."

"Well don't leave us out of it," spoke Kiai as he stood up, "You know we'd just worry sick about you if you went there alone, and if you took Ash and Misty with you, we'd just worry about all three of you."

For once, Amy couldn't think of anything smart to say to that. "Thanks... but I'm sure everything will be fine. We need to analyze the pokemon first, and we can't do that until we have it in the Master Ball, and even the research itself may take weeks or months, and then planning and preparation and who knows what else may come up... it's a serious matter, we're taking it seriously, and that means it takes time." Maneon growled contentedly as it rubbed against Emily's palm. "What a mystery..." spoke Amy, her voice trailing off.

"And we'll get to the bottom of it." spoke Emily, defiantly and determinedly.

Amy smiled and reached down to ruffle Emily's hair. "That's my little sis."

The trio spent the next couple hours together wandering the streets of Celadon. A good portion of the time did end up in the Celadon Department Store, where Amy bought a couple new outfits for herself and for Emily, while Kiai insisted his clothes were fine and that he didn't need any new ones. In the end, the visit to the store ended with a few new outfits purchased, as well as various Pokemon items, such as Super Potions, candy, and other minor things. Emily on multiple occasions had tried to make some mention of her day to Amy, but she was insistent upon waiting for Ash, so Emily wouldn't have to say it all twice.

Finally, the time came for them to meet up with Ash, and Emily discovered what one of the outfits Amy had bought was for. The trio met in a rather fancy restaurant, and Amy was now dressed in a very elegant looking golden, strapless dress. Emily was dressed in a considerably less fancy dress, being that hers was simply a pink halter-style dress that had no back to it at all. Kiai, much to his disapproval, had been stuffed in a white dress shirt with black dress pants, in which Emily insisted he looked dashing, but Kiai just made a face, noting how much he hated dressing up so fancy. "Just give me a shirt and shorts" he would insist, but alas, he lost the battle.

The three were greeted at the restaurant by a man dressed in a fancy tuxedo. "How many?" he asked.

"Four, should be under the name Ash Ketchum," Amy replied.

"Ah, right this way, Ash is expecting you." The man led them to a rather elegant table that had a small candelabrum on the top of it with a very fancy lace tablecloth. The wood of the table seemed to be made of the highest quality, and the dishes and silverware were of very fine china. Ash stood as the trio neared the table and he gave a bow. He had dressed himself up rather handsomely, wearing a white dress shirt with black pants, though, unlike Kiai, he also had a small bowtie around his neck. "Glad you could all make it," Ash spoke.

"Ash, this place...it's amazing!" Emily spoke as she looked around. The walls were decorated with small mirrors that reflected the light around the room, making it seem as if the room was shining.

"Well, I figured that, with the rough day we all had today, we all deserved something nice to eat, instead of just hitting up some small restaurant or even fast food place."

Kiai so desperately wanted to grumble, "I hope they have ramen here…" but he decided against it. Tonight, him and propriety are just going to have to put aside their differences and get along. "But how can you afford all this?" asked Kiai.

Amy answered that with a very, very pleased look in her eyes, "Don't worry, it's on the Pokemon Association. If there's one thing they did right, they gave us an awful lot of money to throw around. As far as this bill is concerned, I, being an official diplomat and ambassador of the Kanto Pokemon Association, am taking out an honored guest of the Sinnoh region and several of his friends out to a fine restaurant."

Ash pitched in, "And since I am registered in the Sinnoh region, and since I happened to have done an interview for Professor Oak for his bit in the upcoming lecture, I am technically," He took a deep breath and straightened his posture as he said this next bit, "an honored contributor of the Sinnoh Convention, and therefore an official guest of the Kanto Pokemon Association."

Amy broke out in a fit of giggles as he said this. Kiai shook his head and grinned. "You two are enjoying this way too much." To which they both nodded and spoke in unison, "Yep." The four of them had a round of laughter, then took their seats. Drinks were served momentarily; Amy and Ash both ordered wine, Kiai and Emily went with soft drinks.

"So, how is Misty doing?" Emily piped up after a moment.

Ash sighed. "She's still pretty sick. She's been getting around a bit more since this morning, but it's still about the same. I gave her some medicine, but it didn't help much...I'm beginning to wonder if it might be something other than a generic stomach flu..."

Emily titled her head. "Like what?"

"Well...a couple months back, we decided that we really were in love and that we really wanted to settle down and start a family. Well, after we decided on that, we basically decided that we were done 'playing it safe' sort of speak...We wanted a family, and as Gym Leaders we make good money, so we decided that she would stop using birth control and we'd just kind of let things go however they go."

"You think she might be pregnant?" Amy asked and Ash shrugged.

"It's a possibility. We weren't really trying, but we also weren't not trying, you know?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "We figured we'd just let whatever happens happen. Thinking back...it's been about six weeks since her last period...that means the possibilities are a bit higher than normal."

Amy nodded. "Are you going to try a test?"

Ash nodded. "I thought I'd buy one on the way home and hopefully we'll have news for people about it tomorrow."

Emily smiled. "Well, congratulations if she is. You'll make a great father."

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "You think so? The idea is actually kind of scary now that I'm thinking about it."

"You'll do fine, Ash," spoke Kiai, "But that kid is going to be a better Pokemon trainer than anyone at this table, what with the upbringing he or she's going to get"

"If it's not a 'she', I'm going to have Misty's sisters castrate me." The three of them laughed, and Ash continued, "No, seriously! They told me that if I don't give them a niece to take over the gym after Misty, they're going to hunt me down in the night and tear my Onyx and two Geodudes off!" They doubled over in laughter, clutching their sides and drawing an awful lot of attention to themselves.

After several minutes they calmed down, just in time for the waiter to arrive with their menus. They spent a few minutes in silence, albeit with several interspersed giggles here and there, deciding what they wanted. Amy and Emily pointed out a few items to each other, and had the odd habit of showing each other their menus, despite the fact that they each had identical menus in their hands already. When the waiter came back, Ash and Kiai made the standard "ladies first" nod. Emily spoke first, "I'll have the chicken alfredo with linguini."

She then passed to Amy who spoke, "I'll have the jumbo shrimp, boiled not fried, and I'll take the clam cakes as a side."

Going around in that direction, Ash went next, saying simply, "Burger and fries."

This warranted him a slight nudge from Amy, who mouthed, "Fast food?" Ash helplessly shrugged.

Kiai looked up at the waiter and spoke, "I'll have the freshwater escargot with shell, in the white wine sauce. And some steamed asparagus on the side, please." The waiter jotted this all down and nodded curtly and pleasantly, then walked off. Emily, Amy and Ash all stared dumbfounded at Kiai. "... What?" he spoke, staring at them in return. "You all know I lived alone most of my life... I found a river one time…I got curious… ... what? They're pretty good!"

Emily shook her head and shrugged. "Well, anyway," she turned to Amy and Ash. "I've been anxious to tell you all about our day today. We had a lot go on."

Ash nodded. "Well, tell away. We've had a pretty busy day, too...or at least Amy has. I spent the whole day looking after Misty." He rubbed the back of his neck again. From there, Emily and Kiai explained all about their day. From their encounter with the strange Pokemon of Miror B all the way down to Emily's battle with the strange trainer Amanda.

"Well, you know, that Amanda girl may be right," Amy spoke. "I've known you since you were just two years old and some strange guy I don't even know who brought you to my Mom's house and dropped you off. I've watched you grow and bloom into a fine young lady, but your passion for Pokemon has always been the same. You love raising them. I remember back when you were five and we had a pet Persian. Oh boy, I remember you just loved that cat. Unfortunately, it did disappear one day...none of us really knew what happened to it...and you were absolutely torn up for a week about the fact it was gone. Your passion has always been raising Pokemon. Maybe you should consider the idea of dropping out of badge collecting and going into something else like researching or even breeding. Though, with your smarts, I think researching would definitely fit you best."

Kiai nodded enthusiastically. "You do have a good mind when it comes to figuring stuff out, especially when put to the test." Ash spoke up, "And research isn't just about hitting the books. A lot of the best researchers, Oak included, spend most of their time in the field, doing real and practical research on pokemon in real or simulated battles under specific conditions to find out just how they're going to behave, so you still get that aspect of it."

Amy nodded, "Good point, Oak really does get out a lot."

"And plus," continued Ash, "you can still go on your Pokemon journey with Kiai. Field research involves looking at lots of pokemon over lots of areas, and the best way to do that is the traditional circuit." Emily slowly nodded, not seeming to commit one way or the other, but heavily thinking about it.

"What exactly would I research, though? I mean...how exactly does that work out? Would I just be researching anything and everything? Is there a specific field I'd be able to research?"

Amy nodded. "Some researchers focus on specific things. For example, there's a man who lives in Johto who researches Pokemon called the Unown."

"Unknown?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, here, let me show you." Amy pulled out her pokedex and loaded up the page on the Unown. She handed it to Emily and she looked at it.

"So...not Unknown...but Unown...said the same, but spelt differently...they're weird Pokemon that look like letters..." She pushed a few buttons and it cycled through some of the different forms of Unown. "Weird..."

Amy nodded. "The man spends all of his time researching them trying to discover anything he can about them."

"Amazing..." Emily handed Amy her Pokedex back. "What about...an Eevee researcher? We can see that Eevee evolves in other ways then we thought before...Could someone be a researcher by researching that and seeing if other forms exist?"

Amy nodded. "Probably, I don't see why not."

Emily thought for a moment. "Well, maybe I'll think about it." She nodded. "Oh! Speaking of Eevees! I got this new Eevee from a trainer...he traded it to me for my Magikarp...It's...actually a really rude and crude Pokemon to be honest..."

"How so?" Ash asked out of curiosity.

Emily looked around, then spoke rather quietly. "It called me a scantly-clad whore..."

Amy about choked on her drink. "It can talk?" Ash asked and Emily shook her head.

"I...can understand Pokemon..."

"Oh, right, because you're..." Ash shut up and looked around then spoke quietly, "because your part Pokemon." Emily nodded to that.

There was a brief, awkward silence until Kiai spoke up, "Speaking of which, how's Sabrina doing?"

Amy fielded this one, "She's doing fine. She was in the Pokemon Center for a week, being looked at and after by the top scientists in the field. Since we got a hold of Team Rocket's tech and information, we've made quite a few advances. The word going around is that they've even found a cure for the Pokerus, but they need more time to test it. Sabrina, however, was a special case. I've never seen such efficient, quick research in all my life. Apparently, what she was injected with was a serum that overlays a Pokemon-type energy pattern onto the DNA of a cell, allowing that cell to have Pokemon-like properties. They were able to use technology similar to a Pokeball to remove it from her system, but the whole thing left her very drained and weak. It seems Team Rocket did more than just experiment on her... how much more, we may never know. But they said she's making a great recovery and she should be back to work soon after the Convention."

Kiai shook his head. "Experimenting on humans.. that's far, even for Team Rocket. At least they didn't get too far with their research." Amy murmured an agreement, and made an intentional but unnoticed attempt to not look at Emily for the next few seconds.

"Well, at least Team Rocket is gone and we won't have to worry about them anymore...I hope anyway..."

Ash nodded. "The computer in Saffron actually had a roster of Team Rocket members. The police have ran an investigation regarding that. What we've found, unfortunately, is that while some Team Rocket members have joined Team Rocket willingly, others were forced into it. The majority of those are the scientists, though, as Giovanni needed scientific minds to do things, he had to force some of the greatest scientists to work as a part of Team Rocket by several means, including, but not limited to, threatening to kill their families if they did not comply."

Emily shivered. "Giovanni...that man...he was a sick bastard..."

"But he got things done," spoke Amy. "The data pouring out of Team Rocket is clean and efficient. They kept records on everything; projects, research, movements of targets, you name it. That's why we're able to have done so much so quickly. There are only a scant few gaps, and most of those seem to be intentional. Even Oak admits that they were at least five to ten years ahead of us on Pokemon research, though we're all sure it's due to Giovanni's kidnapping of scientists. Not only that, the names and places of all the members and labs and hideouts are in our hands, and we've already made five stings. Jenny estimates we've eradicated 98% of their entire organization. You two really did a number on them!"

Kiai whistled appreciatively. "But you know," he spoke, "we couldn't have done it without your help."

Ash smiled grimly. "Actually you did…we just cleaned up after you two…"

"Well, I'm just glad we could be of some help is all," Emily spoke with a smile. "Hopefully now that Team Rocket is gone, we can all get back to our normal lives."

Amy nodded. "I really hope so as well." Amy stretched and looked around a moment before looking back to Emily. "Hey, Emily, it's been a while since we had any time between just the two of us. Why don't I pay for a room for Kiai, and then you and I stay in my room tonight. We can have a sister-to-sister talk and such, things we haven't had in a while."

Emily nodded. "That sounds fine, as long as it's okay with Kiai."

Kiai nodded with a smile. "It's fine."

"Thanks, Kiai." Emily hugged her boyfriend and smiled. The group got their food, ate, and finally separated. Amy bought a room for Kiai to stay in for a night on his own while Emily and her made it to her room. Emily then lied down on the bed and smiled. "I miss the days we used to play together."

Amy smiled. "It has been quite a while, hasn't it?"

Emily nodded, then looked down at herself. "I forgot my clothes are still at the Pokemon Center..."

Amy smiled as she lied down next to her. "Not a problem." She grabbed hold of the top of Emily's dress and undid the top.

"Eep!" Emily squeaked and covered her chest.

Amy kissed Emily gently on the shoulder. "Oh relax, we used to bathe together all the time, and we're both girls anyway. So it's not like I'm seeing anything I haven't before." Emily blushed and nodded before lowering her hands. "You know, Emily, I really care for you."

Emily blushed a little more. "Well...you are my sister..."

Amy shook her head. "Not in that way." She gently brought her lips down against Emily's neck and she blushed rather heavily. "I mean I really care for you. I've always cared for you." She brought her hands up and gently groped Emily's chest. "I know that you love Kiai, and I know Michelle cares for you more than I ever could...but I want you to do me a favor..."

"A f-favor?" Emily asked as she shivered a little.

Amy nodded. "I want you to let me have you for one night. I don't care about after that."

"B-but we're sisters."

"Not really. Mom adopted you, but you and I have nothing genetically in common. We're two completely unrelated people because of that." Amy gently kissed down her shoulder. "Just for tonight, ok?"

Emily nodded slowly then closed her eyes. The next moment the two shared was a special moment of heated passion. As the night passed, the two enjoyed themselves. Finally, as the sun began to rise, Amy stood over the bed. She gently kissed Emily before pulling out her pokegear. She remembered that Emily had left her pokegear with Kiai, and thus she called him up. "Kiai, when you come over to get Emily, make sure to bring some of her clothes with you. All she has is the dress from yesterday, and I think she'd prefer to wear more casual clothes throughout the day." She then hung up and smiled. "Thank you, Emily," she spoke silently and opened the door. She left a note on the door to tell her that she had left for the Convention to help with the day's events. The first day of the convention had now come to a close, and the second day was about to begin.


End file.
